CASUALTIES
by HextheDaydreamer
Summary: A civilian is dragged into the conflict between Cobra and the Joes after taking care of a wounded Snake Eyes in pursuit of Storm Shadow. Ripped from the normalcy of her Canadian life, she has no choice but to follow in the steps of the ninja in order to stay alive. COMPLETE
1. Chapter 1

**CHAPTER ONE: The Quiet Before the Storm**

Theresa woke up in the silence of her room, dark green eyes cataloguing the twists and turns of the tree mural painted on the wall in front of her; the green leaves were oddly bright in the darkness as they hung off black branches. Logan painted her room as a home warming present, figuring if he made the room pretty enough she'd stay and live with him. Theresa smiled faintly and sat up slowly, running her hands over her head to smooth her dark brown hair. She'd cut it short before leaving home, much to her mother's dismay, as if to prove what was already known – her hair was hers and no one else's. All she needed to do now was get a tattoo, solidifying her independence and pissing off her mother, again.

Kicking the sheets off her legs, Theresa slid out of bed and headed for the bathroom where she stared blearily into the mirror. She pulled her bangs out of her face and frowned, ruffling it before stripping off her nightclothes and stepping into the shower. The cold water shook the sleep out of her body and she quickly washed her hair, leaning down to touch her legs and making a note to shave in the next couple of days.

She didn't turn the lights on in her bedroom, instead blindly leafing through her drawers for clothes. Once dressed, she opened the door and peered down the hallway, noticing the door of her brother's room was still closed but she heard someone moving downstairs. Stepping down carefully, Theresa tiptoed into the living room where, almost immediately, a fluffy brown blur barreled into her legs.

"Morning Taiga, you been fed yet?" she asked the husky, playing with his ears as she looked into the kitchen. Hideki, her brother's husband, raised a hand in greeting before turning back to his bowl of cereal, leaning against the counter as he did so. Hideki was a tall, willowy man with dark blue eyes, and his long black hair hung over his shoulder in a loose braid.

"You're going out today?" He asked softly.

"Yeah, I'd feel weird if I didn't. Is Wolverine still sleeping?" Theresa asked and opened the fridge, pushing past a few containers before she grabbed a plate of mashed potatoes and steak from the night before. She lifted it into the microwave and walked over into the living room to wait, planting herself in the corner of the couch where she could lean her back against the arm.

"No. He's already at work." Hideki said with a yawn, stirring the contents of his breakfast around, a funny look on his face.

"Something up?"

"It's the pictures you've been collecting for him. We've been sending copies to the government for a while now and no one has gotten back to us about them." Hideki sighed and drank the milk, dumping the soggy cereal in the garbage.

He continued. "There are so many pictures…And he's been painting them all."

Both turned and stared at the small doorway tucked in between the wall and the stairs. Logan was an aspiring painter and photographer, often recreating the photos he took in various mediums; a change in colour here, added animals there, that sort of thing. Ever since Theresa came up to spend time with her brother, he had been ensnared by an entirely different project.

For about two years, Hideki and Logan had been dealing with numerous animal corpses turning up all around their cabin. Not the result of overhunting or even predators, these bodies appeared mark-less and untouched, the scavengers were drawn to the scent but were oddly uninterested in the meat. Theresa had spent a year at the cabin so far and Logan sent her on morning walks to survey as much of the land as possible, taking pictures of any bodies she encountered. What made these deaths more unsettling was the fact all the animals were found with blood coming out of the eyes, mouth, nose and ears. Theresa understood Hideki's concern completely and it wasn't as if they gotten to see these new paintings either.

"I'm sure someone will come, maybe this is happening in other places and they haven't had time yet."

"And your brother?" Hideki raised an eyebrow curiously.

"I'll have words with him later. Where's the camera?"

* * *

Theresa and Taiga spent more than a couple of hours touring the landscape, visiting areas where the deaths appeared most frequent. Theresa usually relied on the scavengers' finding new bodies but today was proving fruitless, and only a few small animals had turned up: weasels, mice and a few birds.

She decided to investigate a small copse of trees, immediately spotting a body lying on the other side as if it had just come out of the treeline and collapsed. Taiga started forward, circling the body from a distance before slowly closing in on it. The husky nudged the side of the animal and then huffed, sitting down and waiting for Theresa.

She released a quiet sigh and went to kneel on the other side of the body, ghosting her hand over its prone form. Still warm with legs stretched out as if it had been running, it was a grey wolf about Taiga's size, and it may have just recently struck out on its own to build its own pack because it was fairly well fed. Theresa shook her head and dug out her camera, snapping a couple of photos before she stood up and walked behind the wolf.

There was no wind to blow the scent of decay away from the body, the hum of the city nine hours away was non-existent. The woman found herself focusing on her own footsteps, snapping branches and crackling leaves that hissed beneath her boots. Her hand unconsciously slipped around the hilt of her hunting knife, eyes flickering between the path ahead and the ground. Taiga had his nose to ground before he took off and sat down some twenty feet away, out of the small forest and into the tall grass. Theresa ran to catch up with him and then looked at what had caught his attention: two boot prints.

To her knowledge, no one else lived this far north and Logan would've mentioned if they had any neighbours. She straightened up and looked around, drawing the knife slowly and listening to it screech against the holster. She had basic self-defence training and Hideki taught her some knife work but wondered if it would help her considering how the wolf had fared. The boot prints were too wide for a woman's, when she bent down to study the tread, bits of blood were smeared along the grass.

Theresa tried to remember if she had seen boot prints at any of the other sites but kept being distracted by someone breathing. She looked away and into Taiga's face, his hot breathe breezing over her face and he leaned forward and licked her face. Ruffling his fur, she moved to stand beside the prints and found she had a clear view of the body, but there were no footprints beyond this point so…

"Why would it run if the person never moved?" she looked at Taiga expectantly. "Smell anything funky?"

Taiga bent his nose and sniffed the prints, interested in the blood but not reacting to anything else.

"There are no wounds, so it wasn't shot…then why was it running?" She turned around and cocked her head to one side. A large circular area of grass had been flattened, she bent to feel it and found it was still warm.

"Too small for a plane, maybe a helicopter?" she mumbled and looked up. Something black was disappearing into the graying clouds.

"Let's go back, we got what we came for."

* * *

He pressed his back against a tree trunk, carefully sinking to the ground and catching his breath. He counted four broken ribs on his right side with numerous bruises battering his body. His suit had been sliced through multiple times, and the cuts stung as blood rushed down his arms. He felt the slash driven across his chest with cold fingers, the sky darkened as a crack of thunder ushered in the lightning and pouring rain.

"Do you honestly believe you can catch me, old friend? What with that storm brewing and your injuries?"

He huffed and forced himself to stand, stabbing one sword into the ground and shoving the other into the sheath on his back.

"You had to have known I survived our battle and yet you remained silent."

He took a careful step forward, controlling his breathing and trying to remain calm through the haze of emotions coursing through him.

"You nearly killed me that day, so it would be fair that I at least bring you to the brink of death myself."

A bolt of lightning streaked across the sky and he saw his opponent with something like pity in his dark eyes.

"After this, you will stop hunting me down. What use is there chasing after the dead?"


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER TWO: Through the Eye of the Storm**

It was nearly four when Theresa returned to the cabin, having spent five hours surveying the land. She pulled off her jacket and unlaced her boots, pushing them against the wall before walking up the few steps leading into the living room. It took up one half of the first floor, a couple of couches were spread out over thick black carpets, gazing into the flames of the fireplace set in the middle of two wide windows that looked out to the east; along the northern wall was a modest television used only for movies as internet reception was poor.

Hideki was lying along one of the couches closest to the window with an arm draped dramatically over his eyes, he lifted it briefly when Theresa walked in and offered a pained sort of smile before the arm dropped back onto his face.

"Logan still working?" she asked, climbing over the back of another couch and sliding down.

"Yes."

"You don't sound pleased about that." Theresa snorted as Hideki sat up with a frown, eyes narrowed. He huffed and rested against the arm of the couch and sighed loudly, hoping his frustration might reach the self-proclaimed "tortured _arteest_ ".

"I love him, honestly, but," he sighed again. "I have _needs_. He's been at this for days and nights and its driving me mad."

Theresa put a hand over her mouth to stop herself from laughing as Hideki hung his head, his long hair hiding the redness in his cheeks.

"You poor horny bastard. Don't you have, like, toys for that?"

"Theresa, shut up. You don't know anything."

" _Please_ , I know a little– "

"Just stop, I'm not having this conversation with you." Hideki whistled for Taiga and the husky leapt onto the couch and lay down, resting his head on Hideki's knee.

"We're both grown adults, Deki."

"Being over eighteen and having gone through "the college" doesn't always guarantee "becoming an adult"." He deadpanned while air-quoting, picking up a pillow and throwing it unsuccessfully at Theresa's head.

"Fine, fine. What's for dinner?"

"I haven't planned that far ahead." Hideki gathered up his hair and tied it into a knot. "You see if da Vinci is hungry, I'll figure something out."

"Understood, Mona Lisa." Theresa giggled at the unimpressed look Hideki gave her before getting up and retrieving the camera from her jacket pocket. She strolled towards the door of her brother's studio and gently knocked on the door.

"Oi, goofball, open up."

"What's the secret password?" Logan called back, Theresa could hear the smile in his voice.

"I solemnly swear that I'm up to no good?"

"Nope."

"Mellon?"

"Wrong again."

"M-A-R-I-A. Maria?"

"Keep guessing."

Theresa looked back at Hideki and he pointed to the picture hanging over the door, a raven taking off into the air. Theresa raised an eyebrow and Hideki rolled his eyes, he crossed into the living room and opened a drawer beside the fireplace, waving the cover of a movie at her. Theresa squinted at a blond girl in a blue and white dress.

"Um…Nevar?"

"Correct. Just give me a second."

"One – "

"Don't start. A few minutes, I swear."

Theresa nodded and propped herself up against the door, listening to Logan tear through his workplace, brushes falling, paper ripping, and following by a loud thump. Theresa crossed her arms over her chest and sighed, eyeing the kitchen as Hideki opened the fridge. He moved out of her sight and she heard the microwave door open. Moments later, Hideki thrust his arm out and waved Theresa's uneaten breakfast, clicking his tongue before dumping the contents of the plate into the garbage.

"Kay, I'm good. You may proceed." Logan called and Theresa opened the door.

She found Logan sitting on a stool, behind him were tall white sheets hiding his paintings. There were a few paint splatters on the floor and she turned around to see what had changed since the last time she was allowed entry a month ago for her report. There were a few paintings on the wall behind her, like the one with snowy valleys dotted crimson walking paths and a pirate ship stuck at the bottom the sea with shadowy tentacles hovering over it.

She gave Logan the camera and watched him look through the photos, rotating around to mark down the numbers into a notebook. Theresa moved closer to examine his drawing table and brushed a few crumpled pieces of paper out of the way, a couple of large poster boards were stuck together with various doodles and splotches of colour. Several crayons snapped in half were piled together like a pyre. Theresa ignored that for the moment and picked up a sketchbook, thumbing through the pages and siting against the table.

"You gave me that on my sixteenth birthday, remember?" Logan said, shutting the camera off and stretching his arms over his head.

"Oh yeah, everyone else did too." She said noncommittally.

"But I kept yours, you drew something on the first page."

Theresa didn't remember that and flipped back to the front, a small blue and orange bird sat in the middle of the page, its wiry black legs spread out and its beak wide open: a speech bubble said "For Logan".

Theresa smiled and closed the book, placing it back on the table as Logan and tapped the seat of the stool, beating out a rhythm as he stared at her. Logan and Theresa were around 5"7, possessing the same dark brown hair but Logan decided to grow his out a bit, a tiny ponytail at the base of his neck marked his progress. His eyes were hazel in comparison to hers and he was broader in the shoulders. Of course, today there was a blue streak under one of his eyes.

"So, what's happening, I heard you guys laughing."

"Ah, nothing much. Hideki's feeling a little deprived though. What about here, you gonna come join the living for a couple of days or has the muse run away with you?"

"Is he now?" Logan spun around in the stool and opened the notepad back up, running his fingers along the margins and sighing. "I'll have a…a talk with him then. As for the muse – "

Something red dripped onto the floor. Theresa stared at the canvas it had dripped from, images of previous dead animals raced through her mind.

"…not so great." Logan followed Theresa's gaze. "Ah…didn't like that one a lot. I'll take care of it later. Shall we?"

* * *

Halfway through their stir fry dinner, the power went out. The sudden, swirling mist of dark gray clouds ushered down waves of rain that thundered against the glass as zigzagging bolts of white light cut across the sky. Crash after crash, Theresa imagined a tree falling, its massive trunk breaking through the glass, bridging the gap between the storm outside and the house. She tried to remember the sky earlier in the day, if there were any signs of severe weather... Everything was suddenly so loud.

Hideki got up and navigated the sea of darkness, his feet sliding against the ground and his eyes trained forward as the flashing lightning lit his path towards one of the kitchen drawers. He pulled out two flashlights, waiting for the lightning again before tossing one to Logan. He then vanished down a hallway near the pantry to check the generators; Logan coaxed Theresa from her chair and the two of them sat down on the couch in front of the fire. Logan pulled a blanket off the back of the couch and pulled it around her shoulders, gently pulling her closer to him as Taiga snarled at the thunder.

"I hate this." Theresa grumbled, leaning into Logan's shoulder with a frown. "Like, I _really_ hate this."

"Relax, Terry. Nothing's going to happen." Logan soothed, planting a quick kiss on her head. Theresa huffed and pulled the blanket tighter around her, watching the lightning splinter off into smaller, whiter lights.

"When people say stuff that like, something bad usually happens."

"And when something does, I'll be right here."

The world beyond the glass roared in response, shaking the house as the sky glowed for all of one second. At that moment a bluish beam reflected off the glass and several lights flickered on, Hideki appeared from the hallway and shut the flashlight off, throwing it onto a chair as he slipped behind Logan and wrapped his arms around him.

"Good thing the fridge is nearly empty." He said, kissing Logan's cheek.

"Radio said the storm wouldn't last long. I should be able to make the trip – "

"Trip? What trip?" Theresa straightened and looked at her brother. Hideki put his hands up and shuffled off the couch, distracting himself by returning the flashlight to the drawer. Logan reached back and rubbed the back of his neck anxiously, avoiding Theresa's stare for a while as he turned his gaze outside.

"You know those pictures you've been taking for me?" he said slowly, eyes looking at everything except her face.

"Yeah?"

"I've been wanting to deliver them to the government personally, you know, really get under their skins so they can come and investigate."

"And you want to do this _now_? Right now? While Mother Nature throws one of her fantastic hissy fits? Are you insane?"

"This has been going on for two years, Terry, and no one's been up here. I think that warrants the adult to go down and get some answers." Logan looked to Hideki for support. Theresa punched his shoulder.

"It's crazy out there, can you imagine flying through that?" Theresa questioned, she suddenly felt really sick. "I mean I trust your judgement on most occasions but this is too much, you can do this after the storm clears, during the day. Do you even have fuel since the last trip and what if you crash? I thought the dead animals were, like, an exploitable medium for you."

Theresa panted, pushing herself to the other side of the couch and curling into a ball. Logan blinked a few times and then reached out to uncoil her but Theresa sprang from and ran around the couch, into the studio. Logan didn't say for her to stop as she opened the door and tore the sheets off the canvas's one after the other. Expecting corpses, Theresa was surprised that one canvas after another depicted animals that were very much alive.

One showed a grizzly from two weeks ago, no longer lying beside the river but actively hunting in it, a salmon dangled from its mouth. Another showcased an eagle in midflight, raven hopping after its buddies, a wolf stalking the winterless tundra alone.

"Yeah…about that." Theresa turned around as Logan walked up to stand beside her. He pulled off another sheet and Theresa saw a fox though a lot of red was smeared across it.

"Had a hard time getting the colour right…and the eyes…and the mouth." He gestured lamely.

"Um…" Theresa looked down and away from the painting and her brother, one hand going up to cup cover her eyes. "Wow, sorry."

"No, no. You're right and this probably was not the way I wanted to…you know, show them to you." Logan sighed and wrapped an arm around her. "But I still need to go and before you lose it on me, hear me out. Wouldn't the situation need paying attention to if I did go, in the middle of this storm, to tell them?"

"…maybe." Theresa mumbled, turning towards the door to see Hideki leaning in the doorway.

"Makes sense, let's go." The dark-haired man said, already pulling on a jacket.

"What? No, you're not coming. I'm not leaving Theresa alone."

"I'm twenty-two, not twelve."

"Hush, you. Now Hideki – "

Hideki sauntered forward, grabbed Logan's arms and pinned them to his side, before kissing him. Logan's eyes widened for a second then slowly closed, wrestling his arms free so he could wrap his arms around his husband, twisting his fingers in Hideki's hair. Theresa looked off to the side after a minute or so, a slight blush colouring her cheeks as the men parted.

"Do we have any complaints now?" Hideki asked slyly, giving Theresa a wink as Logan stuttered.

"Oh, no, no, no. We are…fine." Logan answered a little breathlessly. "Besides, I think you're the better pilot."

"Don't you know it."

* * *

The thunder had stopped by the time both men prepared the necessary supplies for their trip, Theresa watched from the back door as they trudged towards the garage holding the plane. She watched as the large bay door opened and clutched the doorframe as they climbed into the sky, the plane shaking and jerking the whole way. Theresa didn't leave until the sound of the plane was drowned out by the sound of the pouring rain, padding back into the living room after locking the back door. She drew the blinds over the windows and shoved a couple of logs into the fire and then grabbed an old newspaper for fuel. She sat down in front of the fireplace as the flames travelled out from the paper and bit into the bark, the heat touched her toes and lingered on her face.

"Guess it's just you and me, boy." She said quietly, reaching for Taiga and he sat beside her. "They'll be fine."

The husky gave an affirmative bark.

 **CRASH!**

Taiga jumped and ran for the entrance, barking at it viciously as something thumped on the door. Theresa climbed to her feet and unhooked the hunting knife from her belt, she pressed herself against the door and held the knife behind her back.

"Who's there?"

 **THUMP.**

"I said, who's out there?"

Another thump but this time it seemed to travel down the door.

"I'd better not regret this." She twisted the handle of the door and pulled, yelping when a tall black figure fell backwards into the house. It looked like a man but he was covered in a full black suit, two swords were strapped to his back and small knives were imbedded in his arms. Kneeling at his head, Theresa checked for a pulse, immediately shrieking when the man raised a hand and grabbed her wrist.

Oh yes, he was alive.

Taiga however was still set on something and Theresa looked up and saw a white flash before something whistled through the air past her cheek. Falling onto her bum, Theresa grunted and tried to pull her arm free but the man wouldn't let go. Growling, she used her restricted hand to grab his wrist and pull him up the three small steps into the centre of the room.

"Taiga, door!" She grunted. Taiga nosed his way between the door and wall and closed it, running back up to examine the intruder.

"Someone's out there and I need to lock up, you have to let go." The man turned his head to stare at her, Theresa looked down and realized that he was staring at the knife in her hand.

"You're joking right? You, sir, have fucking _swords_." The man moved his head to look up at the ceiling and sighed in an exasperated manner. He raised his other hand and gestured to himself. She saw the numerous cuts on his body including a gash stretching across his chest, she dropped the knife and carefully laid her other hand on him, her fingers ghosting over the injury. He tensed and gripped her wrist tighter.

"I get it, I get it." She glanced down at the knife and groaned, gently picking up the blade and handing Taiga the hilt. "Take this to my room, Taiga, I _guess_ I won't be needing it."

The husky grabbed the knife and walked up the stairs. Theresa waited for the dog to disappear upstairs before giving the man a look, he nodded and slowly released her arm. Bracing both hands on the ground, he began to push himself up but Theresa saw his arms shake, catching him before he hit the ground. She heard him sigh again, fighting to sit up, before he curled into himself and wrapped an arm around his stomach. Theresa felt a pang of guilt as he pushed against her, the material around his face stretching as he opened his mouth to draw in deep breaths.

"OK." The man looked at her. "I'm gonna help you stand up, alright? We'll go upstairs and I see what I can do to lessen the pain but you have to trust me."

He continued to stare at her and she carefully moved onto her toes. "On three then? One, two, three." With one hand wrapped around his waist and the other moving his arm over her shoulder, Theresa pushed up and pulled the man up, steadying him as he readjusted his arm around his stomach.

"Now the stairs, these won't be pretty with your ribs. Broken?"

He gave her a nod.

"How many?"

He held up four fingers.

"Brilliant. We'll have to take our time then." They moved along the floor at a snail's pace, Theresa ignored the urge to look at him, feeling nervous with every loud breath he took. Once they got up the stairs, she stared between her room and her brother's.

"Mine's probably the safer bet." She said, more to herself then the man. She found Taiga waiting for her near the bed and she flicked the light switch on with her nose. Aside from the tree mural, her room was pained dark blue with bright yellow shelves meant to be stars. She guided the man to the headboard of her bed and asked him to stay put. She went back down stairs and got the first aid kit from one of the kitchen drawers along with a bigger kit from Logan's studio. The man was still in the same place she'd left him and Theresa lingered for a moment to take in his appearance.

He was taller than she was, three or four inches give or take, and the suit covered him completely. He did wear black pants that were a little baggy around the thighs and they were taped up around his ankles.

Getting him out of that would be tiresome.

Two guns were strapped to his belt with multiple pockets held small throwing weapons, and again the swords on his back. He stared at her and Theresa swallowed the growing lump in her throat.

"You can sit, never cared for that comforter anyway. Too rough." She said setting the supplies down and examining him.

"How do you get out of this thing?"

He shook his head.

"You don't want to get out of it?"

He nodded.

"O-ok then."

As he sat down Theresa crossed her arms over her chest, eyeing the shuriken that the man was slowly pulling out of his arms. He studied the room for a moment and Theresa snorted.

"The bed's fine, better there than in your arm, right?" So he tossed the throwing stars onto the bed and turned his arms over slowly, clenching and unclenching his fists. Theresa placed the kits on the bed and cautiously lowered herself beside him.

She opened one kit and pulled out a rag, twisting the cap off of a bottle of rubbing alcohol and sticking the cloth inside the neck of the bottle. She looked up at his face, silently asking if it was alright to touch him, and he nodded. She dabbed the cloth against the largest slash, wincing when he should've. It didn't seem too deep so she wouldn't need to stitch him up (which terrified her immensely) and tended to the smaller cuts. He didn't make any sounds or react much to her fussing over him, she tried making conversation but seeing as he refused to speak, she gave up and started wrapping his arms.

She did the same to his legs and then paused at his ribs. At first, she wasn't sure how to proceed but the man instructed her to wrap around his stomach and over his shoulder a couple of times. By the end of it all, all cuts were bandaged and he seemed to be a little more relaxed.

"Kay then, can I get you anything?"

He shook his head.

"Oh. Well, you can sleep here I guess. Um, bathroom's over there and if you need anything just send Taiga." She snapped her fingers and kneeled as Taiga came to her. "Look after him, alright? I'll be down the hall…if you need me or anything."

The man nodded again and Theresa helped him lie down, grabbing pillows from her closet to prop him up. She pulled the curtains over the window shut, eyes darting around the room in an attempt to stop looking at him when he was clearly looking at her.

"Um…goodnight then." She went to door and stopped. "I'm Theresa, by the way."

The man started moving his hands. Theresa frowned.

"Sign language, huh? Um…yeah, didn't get a word of that." The man beckoned her over and Theresa shuffled awkwardly to his side. He took her hand, gently this time, and moved his index finger around her palm.

" _Snake Eyes."_


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER THREE: The Ninja in the Bedroom**

Theresa left Snake Eyes alone with Taiga, leaving the door open so he could hear her moving around. She glared down the stairs at all the little drops of blood and the puddle in the centre of the room. There was also the white flash from earlier and something told Theresa that it might be best to start locking up for the night.

She made a slow journey down the stairs so her socks wouldn't be stained and locked the front door, the back door was already locked along with all the windows and Theresa ambled into the kitchen and searched for cleaning supplies under the sink.

After dousing the stairs with a mixture of bleach, water, and dish soap, Theresa pulled off her socks and rolled her pants up to her knees and started scrubbing each step. Taiga would come into view every now and then to see what she was doing before returning to her bedroom; she felt a little better knowing her guest didn't snore – assuming that he was asleep at all. Theresa foolishly wondered if the ninja had the ability to communicate with dogs and was ordering Taiga to check up on her. Theresa snorted at the thought, gripping the railing as her foot slipped.

When she finished the stairs, Theresa went back to the sink and refilled the bucket, waddling to the middle of the room and dropping the bucket with a loud _thump!_ She heard Taiga's claws scape against the floor as he re-emerged at the top of the stairs with a concerned bark. He sniffed the stairway and made a face, lying on his belly and pawing his nose.

"Aw, poor baby." She cooed, receiving an unimpressed look from her dog. "The bucket was heavy, you can tell _him_ that." Taiga rose to his feet and returned to the bedroom, Theresa heard him bark again and snickered.

By chance, she peered down at her feet to find one marked with a drop of blood, she moved a hand to her face and found blood was coming out of a thin scar on her cheek. Something _had_ zipped past her earlier and as she walked back to the door, she tried imaging where the projectile might've gone. Theresa stared at the stairs and saw a glimmer of silver tucked between them and the wall, she crossed the floor and yanked out a small knife with three red line decorating the blade just above the hilt. She moved into the kitchen and dropped the blade into the sink, quickly washing her face and then searching for a bandage in one of the drawers.

At that point, Theresa faced the largest deposit of blood and glared up at the stairs. Huffing impatiently, she stalked towards the closet and pulled out the mop, slamming it into the bucket and angrily stabbing the puddle of blood. By the time she finished, the scent of bleach made her so dizzy she practically fell up the stairs towards Logan's room. She didn't look in on Snake Eyes and gratefully collapsed onto the bed, sticking her face into the sheets and smelling Hideki's fragrant shampoo with Logan's own strange scent, something earthy and fresh. Numbly, she sat back up and pulled off her shirt, tossing it into the darkness before kicking her pants off. With a yawn, she pulled the covers over her legs and grabbed a pillow, pressing her face into it and falling asleep.

Theresa awoke later to a crash that came from her room. Taiga was at the door barking and Theresa rolled out of the bed, grabbing one of Logan's oversized sweatshirts from the floor and dragging it over her head. She stood up and stumbled to the door, following Taiga into her room where Snake Eyes was sitting on his knees.

"Going somewhere?" she questioned sleepily. Snake Eyes merely looked up at her and raised his hands, silently asking for assistance. Theresa yawned and yanked him to his feet.

"Forgot where you were?" she asked as Snake Eyes seated himself on the bed. He nodded a little sheepishly. "Maybe you'd like to clean up now? I think Hideki has some clothes that might fit you…"

Theresa didn't notice how Snake Eyes tensed at the mention of another person and instead busied herself by picking the sand out of her eyes. Once finished, she raised an eyebrow and jerked her head towards the bathroom door. Snake Eyes seemed to think about it, placing his hands on his knees and gradually rising to his feet. He resisted Theresa's help as he limped towards the door, already pulling the bandages off. Theresa was impressed, after sustaining what seemed like a lot of damage, Snake Eyes was moving rather well.

"Does this happen often?" she gestured vaguely at his body and Snake Eyes shrugged.

"Right. I'll find you clothes then. Take your time, I'm not keen on stitching you up if you screw around too much." Theresa thought he laughed as she walked out of room.

Once she was back in Logan and Hideki's room, she sat down and massaged her temples, feeling her bare knees against her elbows. She groaned loudly and rose off the bed, quickly opening a drawer and finding a pair of Logan's pants to wear, ones that were riddled with paint marks; she then started searching through Hideki's drawers.

The woman walked back into her room happy the bathroom door was closed and left the clothes on the bed. Snake Eyes's weapons were there as well and Theresa couldn't help herself from examining the swords. She picked one up and carefully pulled the sword out, adjusting her hold on the hilt and dropping the sheath onto the bed. It was remarkably light, Theresa noted, stepping away from the bed as she swung it around, relishing in the heavy _whoosh_ that accompanied her swings. Curious, she tiptoed into her closet and pulled out the old dictionary her mother had sent up; figuring that because Theresa was an English Major that it would be better suited for her use.

Theresa placed the book on the ground and grabbed the sword with both hands, spreading her legs apart and sliding it against the hard cover. Theresa bit her lip in excitement as the blade was already moving into the book, she lifted the blade up and easily cleaved through the dictionary as if it was butter. Taiga huffed and the woman laughed nervously, pushing the dictionary into the closet and shutting the door. She made to return the blade to its sheath when she saw small red lines near the hilt that matched the markings on the knife sent from the white flash.

… _did I just get involved in some ninja clan rivalry?_

Theresa thrust the sword into its holder and placed it back on the bed, stepping back and folding her arms over her chest. But weren't ninja based in Japan? Why were they fighting here?

The door started to open and Theresa leapt back from the bed, picking up a small knife from the ninja's belongings. She quickly faced away from the bathroom with a curse as Snake Eyes appeared from the swirling steam, he tapped her on the shoulder and Theresa let out a squeak.

"Hi." She managed as Snake Eyes took her empty hand.

" _I might need some help."_

Theresa shut her eyes. There didn't seem to be any sort of hesitance from the ninja which made no sense to Theresa; it was fine and well that she dressed his wounds but another thing entirely for her to dress him. She nodded slowly and turned, causally slipping the knife into one of her pockets. He asked if she wouldn't mind closing her eyes, Theresa nodded and shut them as he guided her hands to the first article of clothing.

Undergarmentshad a particular feel and men's underwear were thicker and rougher than any of her own things. Theresa groaned as she lowered herself onto her knees, unfolding Hideki's boxers as Snake Eyes's feet stepped inside. She slowly pulled them up his legs and nearly screamed when he put his hands over hers and pushed them away, finishing the job himself. She started opening her eyes but Snake Eyes put a hand over them, she remembered that he probably wasn't wearing his mask and ninja had a thing about keeping their identity a secret.

Huffing, she accepted a pair of pants and raised a hand to push his away.

"Lie down on the bed, I'll start and you finish." She murmured and helped him sit down. Once the pants were on, Theresa turned away and opened her eyes.

"I should wrap you up again and I kind of need to see what I'm doing." She reached her arm back for his opinion.

" _Grab my mask from the bathroom, please."_

"Got it."

She walked into the bathroom and grabbed his mask and visor, smirking because despite all the cuts in his suit, the mask was relatively undamaged. She walked backwards out of the bathroom and handed him the mask, waiting for him to signal that it was alright to turn around. Once he tapped her arm, Theresa turned and gaped.

There were scars _everywhere._

They ranged in size from the length of Theresa's pinky finger to longer ones that snaked over his shoulder and disappeared under the waistband of his pants. Some were red or white, the older ones almost skin-coloured – Theresa reached out to touch them and felt Snake Eyes flinch. Shaking her head, she repeated the wrap from yesterday and assisted him in pulling the shirt on. He elected to leave his arms bare and Theresa examined them briefly, moving her fingertips along the ridges and sighing.

"Hazardous lifestyle, huh?"

Snake Eyes nodded and stood up, making Theresa raise an eyebrow then blush as he moved a hand against her cheek. He ran his thumb along the band aid and Theresa shook her head, stepping back and covering her cheek.

"Um, I think your buddy's responsible for that, his aim was lacking a little -"

Theresa gulped as he flipped a knife between his fingertips, the very same one she had hidden in her pocket. She backed up into the doorway and growled a command at Taiga who stood protectively in front of her.

"I found his knife imbedded in the wall, it had red lines on it like your sword."

Snake Eyes continued walking towards her, tossing the knife backwards onto the bed.

Her heart jumped into her throat and she pulled the door shut, standing outside in the hallway as Snake Eyes fought to yank the door open. Whining, she ordered Taiga down the stairs and followed after throwing the door open and shutting it again, stunning Snake Eyes for a moment as she shot down the stairs. She hurriedly grabbed the knife from the sink and dashed into her brother's studio, hiding in among the white sheets – she was suddenly thankful that she hadn't gone and torn them all down.

She heard Snake Eyes's feet on the stairs and held her breath, the door was wide open. From underneath the sheet, Theresa saw Snake Eyes walk pass the door then turn to look into the room. He stepped inside and shut the door behind him, Theresa only saw him from the waist down as he stepping carefully around the writing desk. She put a hand over her mouth as he walked across the room, her other hand fisted around the knife.

 _Hang on, he's injured. He can't be that –_

He abruptly pulled the sheet off and yanked Theresa to her feet.

 _-dangerous._


	4. Chapter 4

**Thank you to everyone who has reviewed and put this story on their faves/alerts. Sorry for the wait on this one, I'm starting university again tomorrow and I've had a busy couple of weeks recently. I'm also on Chapter Seventeen for this story, so as long as I have time, updates should be around every ten or so days.**

 **Again, thanks a lot and enjoy.**

* * *

 **CHAPTER FOUR: Baby Steps**

There was no way I would win this fight. Period.

For one, he likely had done this a thousand times over.

Two, I'm not a fucking ninja.

And three, he probably knows that I know that I'm going to lose.

My only advantage is that he's not completely healed, if I somehow manage to move fast enough to strike his ribs, I _might_ have a chance to get away. However, neither of us have any sort of place we can run to, so…Then again, if I can land a fatal jab to his chest or neck and…kill him…no one would come looking for him, right? Of course, there's the other ninja somewhere around here and I sincerely doubt I want to get in the middle of their little fight, so there goes that idea…Assuming I could actually _kill_ someone in the first place.

 _Talk it out, it worked the last time._

"I'll drop the knife if you let go."

Snake Eyes the Ninja and probably the silent assassin of many a man, cocks his head to one side. I look at the scars winding around his arms, the smaller ones that bite into his fingers. His other hand is empty and it hovers in front of his chest, ready to block any attack I might throw at him. He's close enough that Hideki's scent rises off the clothes; it's a refreshing change from the smell of latex and rubber. Definitely better than smelling blood too.

 _Ugh, focus, you idiot._

"Let go of me and I'll drop it." I say again, trying to pinpoint the location of his eyes in the visor, only to stare somewhat angrily at my own reflection. I hate that he towers over me just as easily as Hideki, and in the visor, my freckles look too big and I look several years too young.

"I'm sorry for touching your stuff, OK? I was being nosy and probably had no right to go through your things." That seems to satisfy him and he drops his shoulders, straightening and lowering our hands. I raise an eyebrow and he holds out his other hand expectantly, wiggling his fingers petulantly. Like a reluctant child, I drop the knife into his open palm with a faint pout. I'm certain the standoff and silence was a massive guilt trip or at least the most efficient way to show who's really in control…And it ain't me…not for long anyway considering how fast he seems to be healing.

Content, he releases my wrist but pulls my fingers away from my palm so he can communicate his response.

" _I'm sorry for scaring you."_

"Eh, I had it coming, I don't have to like how you handled the situation. S'not really my place to start rifling through your shit and ask you questions." I respond sheepishly.

" _Yes to the first, no to the second. You have a right to question me, you don't know me."_

"But you're still a guest and there are better ways to start conversations then theft and near bodily harm." I rub my wrist, peeking at it briefly and noticing a dark splotch of purple. "Which isn't cool by the way. Neither of them. Sorry."

Snake Eyes rubs the back of his neck and looks down at the knife, thumbing the red lines thoughtfully. Noticing how weird that looks, he steps to the side and gestures for me to leave the room first and we move into the living room. Sitting on opposite sides of the couch with Taiga lying in between us – not for my protection but because here there's a chance we both might pet him – we both let out a sigh of relief.

In this setting, Snake Eyes looks a little more normal, ignoring the obvious disconnect between the mask and civilian clothes, of course. He sits with his back to the arm of the couch, crossing his legs and wrapping his hands around his feet which are also scarred. Taiga swings his head to look up at him with those big brown eyes of his and Snake Eyes exhales, placing one hand on Taiga's head and scratching behind his ear.

"Dog person then?" I ask, putting a hand on Taiga's back; a pleased growl emits from Taiga's muzzle and I snort. Snake Eyes kind of shrugs, his attention focused on the knife. I lift a hand to touch the cut on my face as Snake Eyes closes his fist around the knife before tossing it onto the table nearby. It spins a few times until the point faces the open window. Last night's storm still hangs heavily in the sky, grey clouds blot out the sun and a hazy wet mist hovers over the land outside. Reaching out his hand and dodging Taiga's inquisitive nose, Snake Eyes silently beckoned for my hand.

" _Do you have something to write on? I want to explain some things to you and this method is only good for shorter conversations."_

"Uh, yeah, hang on." I got up and jogged to the studio and picked up one of the sketchbooks Logan hadn't started yet. I climb back over the couch and pass the book and a pencil over to the silent ninja. Taiga grunts and turns away from Snake Eyes, sensing that the stranger will have his hands busy in other matters. Taiga stands up and turns into me before flopping into my arms, moving his front paws over my legs and forcing his head under my arm so I can scratch his back.

Snake Eyes stares at the paper for a while, collecting his thoughts, and then the comfortable silence is disrupted by the sound of my rumbling stomach. Snake Eyes lifts his head subtly, and I imagine that he might've raised an eyebrow underneath that mask, I giggle and move myself out from under Taiga.

"You fiddle around there, I'll make breakfast. Want anything specific?"

Snake Eyes shakes his head and waves his hand dismissively, I move around into the kitchen and Taiga whines.

"Try and pet him every once in a while, could you? Oh shit," I opened the fridge, finding it nearly empty. The whole point of Logan and Hideki going out, not only to hand deliver evidence of multiple animal deaths, was also to replenish the food supply. We do just fine hunting but living solely on meat isn't very healthy as Logan likes to say, the super carnivore that he is.

With a groan, I shut the door and bonk my head against it a couple of times. Maybe Snake Eyes isn't the only one forgetting things this morning, I could've sworn there was more to offer. Snake Eyes lifts his head over the couch curiously and Taiga perks up as if sensing what I'm about to say.

"We're kind of…low…on the whole…food thing. Think you could hold down the fort while Taiga and I go hunting? Might be able to find a few rabbits…"

The ninja rises off the couch with little difficulty and follows me into the closet; Logan and I used to take archery classes back home and we've kept up with it, I am admittedly the better shot though. Taiga has already moved to sit in front of the door and Snake Eyes shakes his head and takes my arm, turning it so my palm is facing up.

" _Bad idea. We both know someone is out there."_

"I'll be fine, besides, what use am I? You're the ninja." I retort, skirting around him and running up the stairs for a jacket. I turn into my room and open the closet, smirking at the dictionary that I sliced through, and pull out a dark green jacket. I can feel Snake Eyes watching my back and spin around with a sigh.

"Do you _really_ want to go that badly? You seem to be moving fine anyways..."

He nods and I point back into the hallway, giving him permission to enter my brother's room. I don't wait for him and continue downstairs, pushing my arms through the jacket and picking up a full quiver of arrows. Minutes later, Snake Eyes returns with a black jacket and his own boots. Taiga stands up with a bark and I unlock the door. This should be interesting.

* * *

So far, there was little to no sign of animal life or death. The odd bird flew overhead but I hadn't levelled up to the point where I could actually shoot them down, but I was sure Snake Eyes could only I think he was more interested in seeing what I was capable of. Harmless as I was compared to him, I still got the feeling that he didn't trust me; the only thing I had going for me was that Taiga and Snake Eyes seemed equally fond of each other. Taiga kept an even pace ahead of us and scented the air eagerly as if wanting to prove himself.

" _He's well trained."_ Snake Eyes remarked after a while, looking around carefully.

"I have Hideki to thank for that."

" _Boyfriend?"_

"Brother-in-law. He's made my brother very happy." Taiga slowed down and sniffed the air. "His family runs a small dog training business, anything from seeing-eye dogs, trauma dogs, to trackers so – "

Taiga froze in front of the copse of trees we explored previously where that wolf was lying, I pulled an arrow out and inched forward. Snake Eyes followed close behind and we knelt on either side of Taiga, trying to get a proper look at what he was staring at. The three of us moved onward bit by bit, Snake Eyes (unconsciously or not) pulled ahead and pressed his back against a tree. Moving a finger to his lips, he jerked his head over and I grinned; a stag. Taiga moved around me and disappeared into the brush, remaining within earshot just in case I needed him to catch the stag.

I moved onto a knee and pulled the arrow back, a light breeze brushed the hair out of my face and I breathed out slowly, releasing the arrow and watching it fly into its neck.


	5. Chapter 5

**Just pretend ten days passed, and I was on time with this update =_='**

* * *

 **CHAPTER FIVE: The Calvary Arrives**

Scarlet walked into General Hawk's office and stood respectfully in front of his desk, slightly curious as to why she'd been summoned. Since Cobra's incarceration, the G.I. Joes were experiencing a period of calm and peace, their focus shifting away from hunting down terrorists to rebuilding bases and recruiting new faces. Scarlet was busy overseeing several weapons and vehicle projects as the rest of her team branched off and spent time with family - or not, in the case of Snake Eyes. Raising his head from a small pile of paperwork, General Hawk signalled for Scarlet to sit down.

"You wanted to see me, sir?" she asked cautiously.

"Yes. I was wondering if you've had any contact with Snake Eyes recently." The general said, leaning forward and lacing his fingers together.

"No…not recently, I assumed he was away on a mission."

"But wouldn't he have told you?" The general wondered.

"Usually yes. What is this about?"

General Hawk sighed deeply and rose from his seat, again gesturing for Scarlet to follow as they moved out from his office and into the command center. Scarlet hadn't received any missions, the Alpha Team was allotted vacation time after saving the world although neither Snake Eyes nor Scarlet had any place to go; both were staunch workaholics and more at ease while working or if they spent time together doing most anything. Scarlet assumed that Snake Eyes was given solo missions as he was one of –if not the most – skilled Joes in the program; he could be in Japan overseeing training of new ninja, the name Jinx came to mind but he hadn't said much on the topic. Understandably, she then had no real reason venture inside the command center and she was even more surprised when one of the screens had Snake Eyes plastered all over it.

"Since Storm Shadow's termination, has Snake Eyes _said_ anything to you?"

Scarlet leaned over the person at the computer and scanned the screen, they were attempting to retrieve any and all data concerning the silent ninja – Scarlet was puzzled as to what drew his attention up into Western Canada. After going so far north, all traces of him disappeared.

"Not a word. I know he's been restless, I mean, I understand why but…" Scarlet froze. "Sir, are you implying that Storm Shadow is alive?"

"Why not? Storm Shadow's body was never recovered and ninja are inherently sneaky. I'm going to get in contact with the rest of your team, we'll continue to gather information but I want you ready to move out anytime. Understood?"

"Yes, sir."

* * *

" _Can I ask you something?"_

"Go ahead, oh shit, sorry, one moment." Theresa spun around, a breakfast plate in one hand, Taiga's bowl in the other, and another plate balanced awkwardly in the crook of her elbow.

Snake Eyes moved up from the couch and caught Taiga's bowl, whistling for the husky who darted out of the studio and sat down in front of the ninja expectantly. Snake Eyes rubbed the dog's head before setting the bowl down and then rotated back to the couch where Theresa placed the plates on the small table in front of them.

It had been a month since Snake Eyes arrived at Theresa's cabin and the two of them had established a routine; Theresa made breakfast then Snake Eyes would sit down and teach her sign language. The two of them would go hunting once a week, and Snake Eyes had taken up a training regime early in the morning for "strictly rehabilitation purposes". Theresa was concerned Snake Eyes would hurt himself again but at the same time, suspected he was searching for the white ninja. Snake Eyes hadn't mentioned much regarding the other ninja, only that the two of them were enemies and the white ninja was very, _very_ dangerous. He also mentioned that he worked for a secret military group in America, all covert stuff.

"Alright, what's on your mind, Hayabusa?" Theresa said grinning, apparently she was referencing some videogame ninja.

" _I was wondering why you chose to live here."_ Snake Eyes signed, lifting up his mask. Theresa had fried two elk steaks and some frozen hash browns for breakfast this morning.

"My brother's been wanting to get me up here for years but Mom wanted me to finish university first. The family didn't react well to my brother's marriage so he and Hideki moved up here to get away from the drama. Hideki has his wood carving and Logan's a painter and they go down and sell their stuff a few times a month…"

" _What is it?"_ Snake Eyes asked, cocking his head at the look on Theresa's face.

"It's just…the two of them went down to deliver these photos, we've been finding animal carcasses all around the cabin for the past two years now. They left when you got here, actually…They should've been back by now."

" _Visiting family maybe? Replenishing supplies?"_

"I thought about that…but the storm was crazy that night." She stared down at her plate for a minute or two and then decided it wasn't worth it. She set her plate down and excused herself to the bathroom, quietly shutting the door and lowering herself over the sink.

 _They're fine,_ she thought, _they're fine. They've stopped to visit Hideki's family after delivering the photos and then they'll be back with more food. Relax._

But Theresa couldn't relax. She kept thinking of the storm that day and shuddered at the memory of the thunder and heavy rain. Hideki was a great pilot but in that weather…

Theresa sighed and splashed water onto her face, nearly bumping into Snake Eyes upon exiting the bathroom. She mumbled an apology as she pushed past him into the living room, eyeing her plate of food and grimacing before she wrapped it up and stowed it in the fridge. She felt a little warm and moved a hand over her face with a tired sigh, catching movement from the corner of her eye. Turning, she smiled sheepishly and asked for Snake Eyes to repeat his sentence. Ever the patient one, he moved his hands again.

" _Come here a moment."_

Theresa raised an eyebrow and walked over to stand in front of Snake Eyes. He sat down and crossed his legs, indicating for Theresa to follow suit. After a moment's hesitation, she shrugged and copied Snake Eyes.

" _Have you ever meditated before?"_

"Not really, no."

" _That's fine."_ Snake Eyes placed his hands on his knees and Theresa did the same.

"Do I close my eyes now?"

Snake Eyes nodded.

"How long do we do this for?"

" _As long as you like."_

* * *

Theresa lasted an hour before her bum got sore and her feet fell asleep, she awkwardly climbed to her feet and stumbled over to the couch where she poked and prodded her feet until they woke up. Snake Eyes didn't seem to notice a change and Theresa figured that she'd leave him alone for a bit, gravitating towards the fridge for her unfinished meal. She did feel better and by the time she had finished and cleaned up, Snake Eyes was standing beside her.

" _Better?"_

"Much. Thanks." Theresa smiled and spun around, leaning against the sink and sighing.

" _Something wrong?"_

"Nah. Just tired."

" _You're worried, no one can fault you for that."_

"I know." Theresa pushed off the sink and headed towards the stairs. "Mind if I take a nap?"

" _By all means."_

Theresa nodded and saw Taiga sitting in front of the door, she gave the ninja a pleading look as the husky started whining.

" _I'll take him, don't worry."_

"You're life saver, Snake." Theresa said as she retreated upstairs.

Snake Eyes turned towards Taiga and grabbed a sweater from the closet, slipping into his boots and opening the front door. Locking it behind him, the ninja and dog started walking ahead, Snake Eyes watched Taiga sniff the air and fixate on a point far away from the house. Snake Eyes put a hand over his stomach, feeling his ribs with a grimace, before following Taiga. After travelling over muddy grass, the pair pushed through tall yellow grass and Taiga immediately started growling. Someone moved towards them and Snake Eyes bent down, waiting long enough for the person to reveal themselves.

"Snake Eyes?"

Snake Eyes put a hand on Taiga's back and stood up, letting Scarlet wrap her arms around him before she stared at the husky. _"Not mind, a friend's."_

"Someone we know?" Called a voice and Snake Eyes peered around Scarlet as Duke appeared from out of the brush.

" _No. What are you doing here?"_

"Looking for you." Ripcord said, stumbling forward and giving the ninja a grin. "Scar was worried."

Snake Eyes cocked his head to one side as he stared at Scarlet, perplexed by the nickname and slightly annoyed.

" _If anything had gone wrong, I would've contacted you."_

"That's just it though, we lost all trace of you." Breaker muttered, angrily shoving the grass away.

" _Why do you keep doing that? Is Heavy Duty here as well or will he appear when I use the right dialogue?"_

"Touchy, are we? See, this is what we get for worrying 'bout you." Heavy Duty sniggered and Snake Eyes put a hand over his eyes. Scarlet patted his shoulder with a teasing smile and bent down, putting her hand out for Taiga to smell.

"So, let's meet this friend of yours."

* * *

Theresa woke up to the sound of people laughing.

Which seemed really odd considering Snake Eyes didn't talk and the voices did not sound like Logan or Hideki. She sat up and stretched before sliding off the bed and leaving her room, walking down the stairs as quietly as she could. She could see a couple of people spread out over the couches and Taiga was making the rounds for attention, but she couldn't see Snake Eyes yet. While hoping to remain unseen for a few moments more, Theresa backed into the kitchen and squeaked when her back collided with another solid form. Looking up and over her shoulder, the woman grinned awkwardly at Snake Eyes as he took her hand and led her towards the group of people.

"And where did you lot come from?"


	6. Chapter 6

**CHAPTER SIX: Long Distance**

After passing around a couple cups of coffee and relaxing into her favourite armchair, Theresa pulled her legs underneath her body and kept a cup of green tea near her face, letting the steam flicker across it as she observed Snake Eyes's friends. Their leader was a man named Duke with close cut blond hair and blue eyes, he was shorter than the ninja but possessed an impressive figure much like Ripcord who was their best pilot (apparently); he was the original source of the laughter but she hadn't gleamed what made the dark-skinned man laugh so much.

There was Breaker who took a seat in the corner and attempted to establish an internet connection, his sharp inquisitive eyes not leaving his computer screen for one moment although he certainly appreciated the caffeine. Heavy Duty was the second tallest person in the room with a massive chest and arms, making Theresa feel incredibly small.

Duke and Heavy Duty both sat together on one couch, Ripcord was sprawled across the other one, and Snake Eyes was talking to the redhead woman named, ironically, Scarlet. The two of them were talking in low voices in the kitchen and Theresa forced herself to pay more attention to the people around her.

"So you were looking for Snake Eyes then?" she started, snapping her fingers for Taiga.

"Yeah, we hadn't heard from him in a while and his signal disappeared so we thought we'd come find him." Duke explained. "What happened exactly?"

"He fell into my lap, kind of literally. Some other ninja was hunting him and…yeah, I've been looking after him."

"You mean, he let you look after him?" Ripcord wondered, giving the ninja an incredulous look.

"…Yes?"

"He's so proud. Whenever he's been hurt before, it's a trial to get him into the infirmary." Snake Eyes strode over and knocked his fist against Ripcord's head, cozying up against the window and watching Scarlet take a seat closer to Theresa.

"Thanks for looking after him for so long," Scarlet said, a strange, almost official tone in her voice. "But we need to leave soon."

Theresa saw Snake Eyes shift and bit back a smile as Taiga whined, moving over to the ninja and flopping dramatically onto his lap. Snake Eyes sighed and scratched Taiga's back, eventually turning the husky over and scratching his stomach.

"How soon? It'll be dark in a couple more hours and not that I doubt your piloting skills, Ripcord, but can you at least stay the night?"

Scarlet glanced at Duke for an answer. Theresa observed the other woman's face as her mouth into a thin, disapproving frown. Duke's gaze awkwardly flickered to Ripcord who conveniently looked away, then to Snake Eyes who made no real reaction. His eyes finally settled on Theresa and he smiled a little bit at her before shrugging, and agreeing to her request. Theresa leaned back and took a tentative sip of her tea, staring between the two soldiers as they made several nonverbal motions before Scarlet faced forward and crossed her arms over her chest. Duke nudged Ripcord but the pilot was quick in putting his hands up in a "don't ask me" gesture.

Throughout the exchange, Snake Eyes appeared interested in the terrain outside but Theresa caught him looking in on the conversation, she couldn't guess what was on his mind because he was purposely hiding his reactions from Theresa.

Regardless, as the sky turned an inky black and the sun swiftly descended below the horizon, sleeping arrangements had to be made. Theresa was willing to give up her and her brother's room but everyone was content in taking over the couches or in the case of Snake Eyes, the floor itself. Theresa went upstairs to retrieve some blankets and pillows as Taiga burrowed into the ninja's side, jumping in surprise as Scarlet materialized behind her with arms open. Her face was a little more pleasant even though she wasn't exactly smiling, so Theresa handed her the pillows and threw the blankets over her own shoulders.

"Thank you," the redhead said suddenly, the two of them still hidden from the rest of the team.

"I-it's no trouble, you came a long way – "

"I meant Snake Eyes. He…he usually comes to me about these things."

Theresa opened her mouth to say something but stopped when Scarlet looked away, embarrassed. Theresa nodded and started down the stairs first, looking over her shoulder and jerking her head towards the others. Scarlet gave her a curt nod and trailed behind her, tossing the pillows like footballs at her teammates as Theresa daintily passed out blankets.

Once everyone was tucked in and Snake Eyes finally accepted a pillow of his own, Theresa escaped into the kitchen and shut the lights off, preparing two other cups of tea. Retrieving her mug from the little end table, she watched the elements turn red and waited for the sharp whistle of the kettle. Breaker was still awake and had a bunch of pillows bunched up behind him, the light coming from his laptop made his face look too pale. She considered getting him another coffee but decided against it. Once she prepared a small tray with a teapot and two cups, Theresa made eye contact with Scarlet and made a very deliberate trek into her brother's studio. Within moments, Scarlet joined her at Logan's desk and took the offered stool as Theresa balanced herself on the tabletop.

"This ninja then…he's a big deal?" Theresa began cautiously, watching Scarlet gaze into her cup.

"For all I knew, Snake Eyes killed him. I should've known something was up when he didn't start speaking." Scarlet took a sip and released a sigh. "He took on this vow of silence until the day he killed the murderer of his master, and I respect that but – "

"You're upset that he went off without telling you, that you didn't come to same conclusion. And you're a little pissed at me."

Scarlet blinked.

"You're very perceptive, Theresa."

"And you've got good reason. Instead of coming to you, he goes lone wolf and thinks he doesn't need anyone's help. He confides (however vaguely) in someone you don't know and you feel betrayed."

"Snake Eyes mentioned you had a brother." Scarlet said, smiling a little as she thumbed through a sketchbook.

Theresa snorted.

* * *

The following morning, Theresa woke up and went downstairs to find all the blankets folded up and the pillows stacked neatly on the couches. Taiga was lying in the centre of the floor whimpering and Theresa kneeled down and stroked his head, frowning when she noticed a mountain of tiny boxes piled in one corner of her kitchen. A letter was taped to the top and she carefully ripped it off and read the note.

 _Theresa,_

 _Sorry we couldn't stay for breakfast but you have no food! We left some supplies behind, it's not filet mignon but it'll last another couple of months. Thanks for everything._

 _The Alpha Team._

 _P.S. We fed Taiga._

 _P.P.S. Snake Eyes left something extra for you._

Theresa raised an eyebrow and picked up one brown box, turning it over in her hands and shaking it. Shrugging, she opened one end and ended the contents onto the counter.

"Crackers, instant coffee, gum…that's a fork, cheese spread…Yum." She turned around and leaned against the counter to look at Taiga. "I bet your food tastes better."

She examined the pile for the extra thing Snake Eyes left behind just as Taiga got up and padded into the studio, barking impatiently for her to follow. Theresa went straight to the drawing table and moved the sheets around, coming across a series of numbers and a website address she hadn't seen before. She stepped back into the living room and peered at the corner Breaker previously occupied. Another white note was taped to the wall along with a strange black box stuck in the electrical socket.

 _Theresa,_

 _Your internet is terrible but I've improved it in one spot. Do not remove this device from this spot._

 _Thank you and you're welcome, Breaker._

Theresa raised an eyebrow and jogged upstairs, retrieving her laptop from under her bed; she grabbed the pile of pillows from the couch and dumped them into the corner, seating herself in the middle and booting up. Taiga shuffled over and collapsed onto the pillows beside her, sighing deeply and shutting his eyes as Theresa got onto the internet. She typed the address into the search bar and was met with a login, she peered at the numbers on the piece of paper and typed them in.

The screen that popped up next was blank and black, Theresa frowned and typed in _"Hello?"_

She watched the screen blankly for a few minutes and sighed, placing the laptop on the floor and leaving to try out the instant coffee. She returned to her pillowed throne moments later and bit her lip as white script flittered across the screen.

" _I see you found my message."_

Theresa raised an eyebrow, _"Is that you, Hayabusa?"_

" _Yes. This is a secure line though, there's no need for codenames."_

" _Cool…but you know I was trying to get on your nerves."_

* * *

 **Sorry for the inconsistent updates. Everyone forget that I promised to update every ten days.**


	7. Chapter 7

**CHAPTER SEVEN: The White Rabbit**

The next couple of weeks were relatively uneventful for Theresa and Taiga. The woman selected a few hours each day to speak with Snake Eyes and their conversations usually gravitated around the ninja's own wellbeing or the whereabouts of Logan and Hideki. Theresa managed to contact Hideki's father but he mentioned nothing regarding his son, so she made a few calls to contact Hideki's siblings but they either avoided her calls or hadn't heard from him. Theresa debated phoning her Mother but if she even thought for the closest second that Logan was missing, Theresa would be called home immediately.

She considered asking Snake Eyes for help but didn't want to bother him unnecessarily, and after a while of him asking Theresa ended up lying, saying that Logan and Hideki returned a month and half after Snake Eyes left. For a while, she almost believed they were back, a stack of logs was left outside her house one morning and Theresa scrambled to the hanger hoping the plane was inside with her brother and brother-in-law. But they weren't.

The next time something funny like that happened, the carcass of an elk was left on her doorstep, most of it anyway. Sections of meat were sliced up and put into neat little bags and were arranged around the decapitated head. Theresa didn't run to the hanger this time, only dipping down and grabbing the bags before waddling back inside. She locked the door behind her and stared down at the bags, dumping them unceremoniously into the sink. One after another, she opened the bags and sliced the meat open, putting hand over her mouth as maggots festered or a strange stench wafted off the meat. She guessed poison but didn't want to investigate.

About three months later, Theresa was about to let Taiga out when she caught sight of a white figure standing some thirty feet away. Taiga growled and Theresa fell onto her knees and wrapped her arms around her dog to keep him from running off. The figure in the distance starting moving towards them, slowly, and Theresa heaved with all her might until Taiga relented and went over to stand in front of the stairs. Theresa shut and bolted the door, rushing upstairs to retrieve her knife and then staring out the peep hole. The man was standing right there, his pitch black eyes like a stagnant pool of molasses.

"Kon'nichiwa." He said, not yelling but raising his voice enough so she could hear him.

"Yeah," she called back hesitantly. "Who're you?"

"I'm called Storm Shadow."

Theresa felt her heart jump up into her throat.

"I assume you've heard of me?"

"Yeah," she called back, her voice breaking. "He's not here, you know."

Storm Shadow nodded and pulled down his mask, revealing the very casual smile on his face as he leaned forward, bracing his hands on the door and moving his face closer. Theresa looked away and whimpered pathetically, her stomach churning uncomfortably. She heard Storm Shadow chuckle on the other side of the door.

"I know. I saw them leave but, you understand, I do not have the resources to track him."

"Right," Theresa answered faintly.

"So, if it's not too much trouble I was wondering if you knew how to get in contact with him. We're old friends and he seemed rather at ease with you. He wouldn't simply leave you alone, he likes making new friends."

Theresa slid down the door and dropped the knife with a dull clatter, she heard Storm Shadow drop down with her, almost feeling the heat of him against the door.

"Come now, I'm not here to frighten you. Just let me contact Snake Eyes."

"You're going to kill him." She said, wrapping a hand around her stomach and feeling the bile build up in her throat. Taiga had stopped barking by now and settled for pacing back and forth. He stopped suddenly and ran at the window, snarling and smacking into the glass. Theresa cautiously stepped out and yelped: Storm Shadow stood outside one of the large windows waving at her and smirking down at Taiga.

"Taiga, come here." Theresa commanded breathlessly. She made him sit down near the stairs and walked to the windows, pulling the blinds over them; Storm Shadow knocked rhythmically against the window, his knocks moving from one side to the other. Moments later, he thumped on the door and Theresa couldn't remember how she got back to it.

"I'll come by again soon. Goodbye."

* * *

A week went by before Theresa felt comfortable going outside again. She had Taiga take care of his business in the tiny bathroom downstairs because she didn't want to let him out.

When she opened the door, another elk was left on doorstep but Storm Shadow had taken precious time to carve an arrow pointing somewhere behind the house. Theresa shut the door and shook her head, pacing back and forth; her laptop let out a tiny _ding!_ and she bit her lip. She reluctantly sat down and viewed the message.

" _Any more rain?_ "

Theresa groaned and squeezed her eyes shut, flinching when Taiga rested his head on her shoulder.

" _None."_

" _How's Logan?"_

" _Fine."_

Theresa cursed, the one word answers were going to start looking suspicious. Switching gears, she started typing again before Snake Eyes could question it.

" _He and Hideki were a little active last night."_ That was enough, right?

" _Sorry. Maybe take a nap?"_

" _Nah, gonna do some running around."_ It wasn't exactly a lie.

" _Have more animal bodies shown up?"_

Theresa sighed and rubbed a hand down her face.

" _No, no. I've been hunted, foods spoiled."_

She realized her mistake too late and as she pressed "Enter", her heart dropped into her stomach. For a few tense seconds, nothing happened and Theresa couldn't get her fingers to move. Taiga nudged her with his nose, whimpering a bit and licking her neck.

" _Hunting, jeez. I need spellcheck."_ She typed numbly.

" _No worries. I need to go. I won't be able to talk for a while. Stay safe."_

" _I'll try."_

She waited a while before getting up, grabbing a jacket and lacing her boots before she left the cabin. Taiga cried as she locked the door behind her and Theresa glared at the elk, dragging it by its legs and pulling it away from the door. She delivered a kick to its side before stalking behind the house. She still had the knife tucked into her belt and a hand wrapped around it despite the fact that she'd probably never get a proper chance to use it. Theresa walked past the hanger, stumbling into a few puddles along the way. She looked at the door and felt sick as it was slightly ajar. She peeked inside and found it empty, again.

After a while, the hanger was far away and the house was nothing more than a tiny blip in the distance, she shuddered as she turned and walked backwards, watching the sun drift farther into the western sky. Theresa spun around, she tripped over an overgrown root and found herself lying at the mouth of a great forest. Hideki had mentioned this forest before, a small protected area, not a lot of animal life save for small rodents and birds. Theresa groaned and picked herself up, something white flickered just out of her peripheral vision and she whipped around. A white flag blew in the wind. It looked like an arrow.

Theresa took it as a sign and continued walking, the sunlight streaming freely through the leafless tress. Every couple hundred steps, Theresa encountered another white flag or a carving pointing her this way and that, the path she took was still straight but it weaved around a fair bit. She looked behind her again and bit her lip, the cabin was so far away now.

Later, the woods started opening up, there were pieces of metal strewn here and there and Theresa wailed as a piece of plane's wing lay off to the side. She was running then, jumping over logs and other plane parts until she recognized the cockpit. She sank to her knees beside it, the plane had collided with the ground, wings torn off, shattered glass. Without thinking, she started pulling off the glass with her bare hands, peeling it away from the opening to get a better look. The stench hit her first, then the image of two mangled figures practically smashed together. Theresa lurched backwards and vomited, crawling backwards until her back hit a tree.

Hideki's long black hair was pooling over Logan's head which had split open when it collided with the roof of the plane. She could see his brain matter, shrivelled up and grey in the open air, sliding thickly down what remained of his nose. His eyes were opened whereas Hideki's were closed, one of his eyes had been pierced with glass, but Logan's hazel eyes were like clouded pieces of jade. She threw up again, yanking off her soiled sweater and shivering as the cool air brushed along her arms.

When she initially looked in, her eyes gravitated to their hands – crushed together over the joystick. The nose of the pilot had dug into the terrain, it was likely their legs were more than just broken.

 _Stop it._

Did they regret it when the storm kicked up? Did they try to turn around?

 _Stop it._

They hadn't gone far, they'd gone north, they should've tuned around but they couldn't.

 _Please._

Their skin was fifty shades too white and maggots had nested in their guts.

 _Please, stop it._

Why was she even here?

 _ **Your magic white rabbit had left its writing on the wall/ We follow, like Alice, and just keep diving down the hole**_

Theresa staggered to her feet and walked past the plane and debris and ran. She could've swore Storm Shadow was right on her heels but she was too scared to look behind her lest she trip and fall. He'd been here. He'd been here for a while and he knew. He knew. He _knew_.

She collided with the door sometime later, the sun was almost gone. Lock, lock the door behind her. Drag the couch before the door. Drag the other couch before the back door.

Theresa sat down and covered her face in her hands and wept. Why didn't she convince them to stay?

* * *

 **Surprise! I haven't kept up with regular updates so I wanted to thank everyone for your patience with a chapter where actual interesting plot stuff happens! ...even if it involves hurting my protag in a very personal way. Regardless, I also need a little help from you guys in way of OC's. A few of my own will show up later but I'd like to test myself and write with characters that aren't my own. I need 3, and they'll show up around Chapter Nineteen which I know is far away now but I'm currently writing it and the sooner I finish, the sooner I can post without making you wait.**

 **I don't want to clog the review section with these, so (if possible) PM me a quick character bio. I'm looking for one character with some sort of counselling background, and the other two can be Joes or warriors. If I chose your OC, I'm going to bug you a bit to make sure they're portrayed correctly, meaning you'll also be privy to plot stuff not yet shown.**

 **So, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter and I will hopefully post again soon :)**


	8. Chapter 8

**CHAPTER EIGHT: Something Bad**

" _You've been rather quiet lately."_

" _Logan's selling paintings so he's been making trips, and Hideki's doing some carving so the two of them have been going back and forth. I've been doing other stuff and yeah."_

" _Everything alright? Sleeping well?"_

" _Nope. They've been going at it to spite me. I'm still mad about them leaving."_

" _It's been, what, six months?"_

" _I was scared, Snake Eyes, scared. You and that damn ninja weren't helping."_

Theresa cursed, throwing her latest beer can into a stacked up tower of other cans on the kitchen counter top. It missed and crashed into the floor spectacularly, startling Taiga in the process. Theresa stared at the screen and rubbed her eyes, choosing to ignore the open door to her brother's studio – the paintings off their easels in large torn up pieces.

Storm Shadow had been terrorizing her for at least four months now.

" _Have you seen him?"_ Snake Eyes asked minutes later, Theresa groaned and cracked open another can.

" _No. What am I to some jumped up little shit anyway?"_ Theresa grinned stupidly, that wouldn't pass at all.

" _Theresa."_

Theresa took a long drink and covered her eyes, tears gathering in them. A series of knocks sounded on the window behind her.

" _What Hayabusa?"_

" _Is everything alright?"_

" _Yeah, fine. Didn't sleep."_ Theresa dragged an arm across her face and took a deep breath. _"Look, the boys and I are making a trip to see family, I'm not bringing my laptop but I'll talk to you again…later."_

She heaved a sigh and tipped her head against the glass, the incessant knocking continued and she waited for Snake Eyes to answer back, her eyes falling on Taiga.

"… _Understood. Try and get some sleep. I'm worried about you."_

" _Don't be. Logan and Hideki are bad enough. Bye."_

" _Stay safe."_

Theresa shut off her computer and yanked the device Breaker had stuck into the electrical socket out of the wall. She brought both things into Logan's studio and grabbed a hammer; Taiga jumped when his master brought the hammer down upon on her laptop. Once she was satisfied, she took it apart as best as she could, dumping the remains into a bucket and then lighting paper on fire. She smashed Breaker's clever little device into pieces and shoved its remains into the burning bucket as well, grabbing a sledge hammer and driving it into the mini inferno.

Earlier in the day, she burned the paper holding the website name and password Snake Eyes had left her, washing the ashes down the drain…Theresa moved back into the living room, there were knocks on her door and the woman turned to look at Taiga, she knelt down and patted his head.

"You're not going to like this." She muttered, commanding Taiga to follow her down into the generator room. She pushed aside a large stack of boxes and revealed a small door that opened into a long tunnel where a tiny light glowed at the end. Theresa turned to Taiga and the husky howled, lying on his belly and refusing to move.

"Come on, Taiga, go." She ordered, pushing him inside. "Please, for me?"

"Arooooo," Taiga argued and Theresa shook her head.

"You know what? I think Snake Eye is down there, don't wanna keep him waiting, do you?"

Taiga's ears perked up and his tail started wagging.

"Snake Eyes? You wanna see Snake Eyes? Then go!"

Theresa shoved Taiga inside and shut the door behind him, locking it tight and pushing the boxes back in place. She pulled other heavy equipment around the boxes and then bolted the door to the generators shut. Storm Shadow was still beating on the front entrance and Theresa grabbed one of Logan's sweaters, the sleeves were long enough to hide the knife she was carrying. When she opened the door, Storm Shadow smiled pleasantly and stepped into the cabin.

Theresa had gone to stand in the kitchen as Storm Shadow went through the building and tore apart anything that wasn't previously destroyed. He jogged upstairs and Theresa flinched at the sounds of objects crashing to the floor; the snow globe from her father, a couple of picture frames, and the sound of beds being flipped over. After a while, he slid down the railing and spun right into the studio, eyeing the ripped up paintings before his eyes fell on the smouldering bucket in the middle of the room. It was almost an abstract piece of art, the bright red fox Logan failed to get right just continued staring off into the distance with sallow eyes.

"Clever," he remarked as he examined the melted hardware.

"I guessed you still didn't have the resources."

Storm Shadow made a face caught between annoyance and pride before he spun onto his feet and grabbed her arm.

"Well done but while I won't be able to gather information, I do have something that will surely entertain us until I find the Commander."

* * *

" _I'm worried about you."_ Snake Eyes finished, lifting his eyes from the screen and watching as Ripcord threw an arm around Scarlet's shoulders with a hardy laugh. The lot of them were watching some action movie and something funny happened between the two leads.

" _Don't be. Logan and Hideki are bad enough. Bye."_

" _Stay safe."_

The ninja waited for Theresa to reply but a message soon showed she had disconnected. Leaning away from the screen, Snake Eyes sighed and turned off his laptop, getting up and leaving the room quietly. He initially headed towards the dojo for some mediation but anticipated rookies eager to test their skills against him, and while he usually welcomed any sort of challenge his current mindset almost guaranteed his lack of concentration. Of course, no one would bother him in his room but it felt too closed off from everything else, smaller spaces seemed to shrink more whenever he was under pressure and it was already tense enough. Something was _wrong_ , and he could feel it.

The Joes had found no trace of Storm Shadow and while no one would admit it aloud, some doubted the Arashikage ninja survived at all. Of course, no one wanted to claim Snake Eyes was crazy, his self-imposed workload supported the idea that he was overworking himself with training and several missions a month.

The wounds Snake Eyes sustained from his battle with his sword brother had all healed, so he reasoned the General would be more willing to send him back into the field for evidence of Storm Shadow's apparent resurrection. As he walked pass Cover Girl into the General's office, Breaker was just leaving and the look he gave Snake Eyes seemed to confirm his anxiety.

"Breaker came to inform me that he lost communication with one of his bugs."

" _When?"_

"A few minutes ago. Something happen with Miss Amhel?" General Hawk asked.

" _Theresa? She's been acting…strange."_

"Being nine hours away from civilization does that, having your family gone for more than a couple days' strains relationships."

General Hawk watched Snake Eyes cross his arms over his chest and heave a sigh, the older man glanced down at a nearly completed form and nodded to himself. He called over Cover Girl and stamped the sheet, passing it along and rising from his seat so he could walk around to Snake Eyes.

"I'm authorizing you to go check things out, try not to cause too much trouble for our Canadian neighbours."

" _I don't intend to."_

* * *

The flight to northern British Columbia took about a little over twelve hours. Snake Eyes travelled on his own and received occasional updates regarding weather or random tidbits about the land from his pilot; something about the pilot gave Snake Eyes the clear impression that he was new to the program.

Once they touched ground, Snake Eyes walked out and stared at a rotting corpse of an elk near the front entrance of the cabin, an arrow was carved into its side. The next thing he noticed was that that the door hung off its hinges and as he pushed his way inside, it fell clean off. He drew his swords and paused at the stairs, they were dented and when he bent down to examine them, bits of dark hair and blood were caught up in the splintered wood. He continued into the cabin and saw a clean stack of beer cans on the kitchen counter, he moved into the studio and found a cold bucket of melted metal. Snake Eyes bent down and pawed the debris but couldn't make out Breaker's bug.

A brief inspection of the first floor bathroom revealed nothing but the stench of vomit and shit, the trek upstairs was littered with feathers and slips of paper the wind had blown about. A smashed snow globe lay in a puddle of shattered glass, the two dancing figures had cracks on their faces. The ninja gazed at the mural painted on the wall and ran a hand down the black tree trunk, glancing over his shoulder at the overturned bed. The brother's room was in equal disarray and Snake Eyes picked up a photo that had been knocked to the ground; a man in military uniform had an arm wrapped around a strikingly beautiful brunette woman who had one hand on a boy about twelve years old. Beside the boy, latched onto his arm while holding her father's hand, was a very young Theresa with long hair.

He carefully pulled the picture out of the frame and slipped it into a pocket, immediately whistling for Taiga. He ran down the stairs and out the front door, zipping around to the back and racing towards the hanger where Logan's plane should've been. It was empty and oddly undisturbed.

Snake Eyes slammed a fist into the wall.

She had lied.

Deliberately.

* * *

 **And the plot thickens! And I updated within ten days, yay!**

 **As far as OC's goes, blackrosewitch1996 has submitted her OC Nightshade (see Rebel Yell by CjtheShort, and Not Completely Crazy by Last-Babylonian), and MustangLover97 has given me the go ahead to use her OC Whisper (read her G I Joe fics, they are vastly superior.) The third OC will be one of mine.**

 **Regardless, thanks for reviewing and reading! See you next time :)**


	9. Chapter 9

**CHAPTER NINE: Ninja Problems**

Scarlet heard her shoes slapping against the floor as she walked towards Snake's room. Anyone she encountered on her way would've said that she appeared upset but Scarlet's face was a mask of feigned serenity, it was her feet that were merely too loud. She stopped in front of her teammate's room and knocked loudly against the door, raising an eyebrow as something barked weakly at her from within.

The door opened after a moment and Snake Eyes peered at her from within the darkness of his room. Scarlet opened her mouth and was prepared for a serious scolding but another whimpering noise made her forget her anger, and she barged into the room. Snake Eyes closed the door behind her and flicked on a small lamp near the bed, enough to illuminate Taiga's position on the bed as he stared morosely up at her. Scarlet dropped onto the bed and petted the husky who let out a despairing wail before rolling onto his side and placing his paws over his eyes.

"What's he doing here?" Scarlet asked, continually running her hands along the dog's side.

" _Theresa's missing. I decided to bring him here."_

She noticed he was back in civilian clothes and mask less; the dim light made his face hard to make out but she saw the grim look in his eyes.

"Does Hawk know about this?"

" _He sent me over to see how she was doing."_ Snake Eyes signed tiredly, sitting on Taiga's other side.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

Snake Eyes searched the ceiling for an answer and opened his mouth, the tiniest sound of his voice breaking through before he grit his teeth and looked back down. Scarlet waited patiently for him to collect himself but couldn't help noticing how all his gear was piled up in the corner of his room, the ninja got up and started pacing around the bed before pulling off his clothes and slipping into his suit.

"You're going to look for her." _Alone,_ she nearly added but then remembered how he was once her teacher.

" _I should've gone sooner but I thought she was fine. Now Storm Shadow has her."_

Scarlet felt her throat tighten. "Then he could've taken her anywhere, Snake – "

" _All the more reason to start searching now. I can catch him, I know it."_ He signed rapidly.

Scarlet noticed that unlike most people she knew who used sign language, Snake Eyes didn't move his lips in sync with the movement of his hands – his mouth was shut tight and pressed into a thin line. His eyes were set on her in an angry sort of way and Scarlet frowned at him.

"And you'll be doing this alone?"

She felt a pang of guilt as Snake Eyes dropped his hands and just _looked_ at her, his head tilted to one side and his mouth open in protest. It was a lovely look of confusion and shock, and had the situation been different, she might've noted how adorable he looked. But she knew better. Scarlet folded her arms over her chest and shook her head, turning to face the door with a long sigh. Scarlet knew that Snake Eyes preferred his solitude and she certainly understood that some things needed to be done alone but ever since Cobra had gone down, she felt as if the two of them were standing on thin ice on the verge of cracking – it would only get worse if she admitted how scared she was that they slowly growing apart into different people. She no longer needed to shadow his every step and she no longer needed him around to save her. They were both adults and accomplished fighters.

Scarlet shut her eyes as Snake Eyes kneeled in front of her, taking her hands in his; he never wanted her to feel small around him or inferior.

" _I don't want to burden you."_ He would sign later. _"Storm Shadow has always been my problem."_

"Not all problems can be solved on their own, Snake Eyes." She countered.

" _I know."_ He admitted. _"I leave tomorrow morning."_

"You're such a pushover."

" _Shana."_

 **LINEBREAK**

Theresa lay on her side with her arms bound behind her back, the ropes knotted uncomfortable below her breasts. Thin streams of moonlight beamed down on her through a section of crisscrossed wooden bars at the very top of her cell, she couldn't tell how far down she was but there was no real way to climb up with her hands fastened in between her shoulder blades. Growling, she flopped onto her side and forced her forehead into the moist earth beneath her, forcing herself to sit on her knees before clumsily transitioning onto her feet.

 _At least it's not raining._ Theresa thought mildly. She glanced down and examined the white garb she was inexplicably wearing, missing the feel of her brother's woolly sweater and socks. After colliding with the stairs on the way out of the house, Storm Shadow was forced into carrying Theresa to the helicopter kicking and screaming. But once inside with a dozen or so other men, the asshole plunged a lengthy syringe into her neck and everything got hazy after that.

"Good evening." A familiar voice called from above.

"Really? Couldn't tell." She retorted, tipping her head back to glare up at Storm Shadow.

"Maybe you'd like to come out for a little while." He questioned harmlessly.

"I like it down here, thanks."

Obviously, he didn't approve of that response because the next moment, Storm Shadow lifted the cage door open and easily slid down the wall. Maybe she could kick him; he certainly couldn't move very freely in such tight corners. Guessing her intent, Storm Shadow jumped over her head and forced his body into the corner, his hands and feet flat against the wall. Pissed off more than anything, she ran at the wall hoping the momentum would carry her up, but it only resulted in her feet slipping off and her head bashing into the wall. She staggered backwards and felt Storm Shadow wrap an arm around her waist, stopping her from crashing into the opposite wall. A rope was thrown down and Storm Shadow twined his other hand around it, so the two of them were carefully pulled up.

"Better?" Storm Shadow queried.

"Just peachy." She growled.

Storm Shadow smiled faintly and grabbed her elbow. "Walk with me?"

"How could I refuse?" she answered sarcastically.

Storm Shadow said something quietly in Japanese and the crowd of ninja dispersed, giving Theresa a better view of where she was. It appeared to be an old village carved into a large mountain, there was very little grass and very little sign of people. Looking behind her, her previous cell seemed to be the only one and as she was led into one house, Storm Shadow leaned forward and knocked his fist against one wall. Moments later, the wall rose and he shoved her inside. Unlike the outside, everything within the mountain was new age technology, heavily metallic and chrome-coated. Storm Shadow moved her around a corner where the hallway opened up into a huge stadium-like room where she could see other ninja training, and separate soldiers working on large jet planes.

"And you said you had no resources." She said with hint of smugness in her voice.

"I don't. They found me." Down another hallway, Storm Shadow pushed apart two tinted glass doors that led into what Theresa thought was the infirmary. Standing in the middle of the room was an older gentleman who was calmly sitting on one of the examination tables; balanced on the tip of his finger was a firefly, he looked up at their arrival and gave them a cheerful smile.

"So, our guest of honour finally arrives. Storm Shadow tells me you've no idea about Snake Eyes or the Joes but we can work around that. I'll help jog your memory and you can help me with my little friends here."

As if on cue, the firefly lifted off the man's finger and landed on Theresa's shoulder. Upon closer inspection, she realized it wasn't real at all, wasn't alive. Slightly perturbed, she glanced up at the man and he grinned; the firefly pushed the tip of its lighted body into her skin and Theresa hissed as it slowly burned through her shirt and into her skin.


	10. Chapter 10

**CHAPTER TEN: Cobra Venom**

Snake Eyes sat in the briefing room with his arms crossed tightly over his chest as Scarlet stood across from him against the wall, a concerned look on her face as everyone started filing inside. Everyone instantly took notice of the tension in the room, looking from Scarlet to Snake Eyes and trying to decipher what the issue was. When everyone was assembled, it was Duke who spoke on everyone's behalf.

"Storm Shadow's alive, isn't he?" Duke watched Hawk for a reaction and grimaced when the older man nodded.

"Yes. Very much so." He cleared his throat. "Four days ago, he kidnapped Theresa Amhel and we suspect he's pushing her for information. We've been trying to track them down but they've managed to cover up their tracks."

Duke opened his mouth to say something but Hawk lifted a hand for silence.

"We've also received intel that Storm Shadow is planning to break Cobra Commander out of prison and retrieve the Baroness. Security at the prison has been more than doubled, so I don't want any of you to worry about that."

At that moment, the door opened again and Roadblock entered the room with a small nod to his cousin before he took a seat beside Duke. General Hawk continued.

"It'll be a three-pronged mission, you can bring anyone else into your individual assignments if you need to. Duke, I want you to take the Alpha Team and intercept Cobra forces before they get to the Baroness."

General Hawk turned to Snake Eyes. "Snake Eyes, your mission is to retrieve Theresa Amhel, I don't need to tell you how important it is that you bring her back alive."

Snake Eyes nodded firmly and left the briefing room, already aware of the details within the mission. Duke looked around at his team and General Hawk turned to Roadblock.

"We know Cobra's on the move, so I want you to manage a team in the Middle-East. They're retrieving some highly dangerous explosives, and I don't doubt Cobra might want in on the action. If the Alpha Team finishes quickly, they are to join you in Tel Aviv…"

* * *

Theresa was writhing on the floor as dozens of fireflies latched onto her skin, leaving clean little burn marks all over her body, save for her face. The man, only known as the Faceless Master, sat a few feet away watching her intently; there was a ring on his finger equipped with a small dial to increase the amount of heat the fireflies could use. They had already been at this for a while, breakfast had already been brought in a few times and Theresa eyed the untouched bowls of rice with equal parts of distain and hunger. He said she could eat whenever she wanted but whenever she moved, the fireflies came. If she wasn't fast enough, the fireflies came still. And if this was just the test run of his bugs, anything more violent might cause her to puke.

Faceless Master removed himself from his seat and walked around her in a wide circle, stretching his arm out to rub a freshly given burn. Seizing her chance, Theresa kicked his knee and flinched as he buckled and fell backwards. The two of them shared a look of surprise and she jumped to her feet, throwing herself into the glass doors. The coolness of the glass cancelled out the heat of the burns but only for a second. With her arms still bound, she couldn't reach the doorknobs but if she tried hard enough, she might break the glass. Listening to the Master stand back up, she backtracked and stepped around the examination table, keeping it between her and her pursuer.

"Alright then," he said with a chuckle. "You've got a little more fire today, I'm glad. I thought I'd be bored out of my mind by now."

She glanced to her side and saw another door and this one was partially open, she dashed towards it as Faceless Master vaulted over the table. She skipped into the door and shoved it open with her shoulder, running down the darkened hallway and sliding around a corner that opened up into a much larger testing facility – great tubes filled with greenish liquid housed various aquatic life, and large cages lined the wall.

It was oddly quiet inside, Theresa stared over her shoulder quickly and descended a set of stairs before bending to look inside the nearest cage. It looked like a wolf but there were too many mechanical parts: a cybernetic eye, the teeth were coated in metal, and the top of its skull was removed to show a completely robotic brain. There were other large animals as well, the smaller ones sat out in the open, metal brains displayed. She turned her attention to a central table where a yet unenhanced grey wolf lay.

"Fascinating, isn't it?"

Theresa froze and slowly turned her head as Storm Shadow leaned in the doorway. He crossed his arms over his chest and pushed off the wall, taking his time as he came down the stairs.

"What are you doing to them?"

"Improving them, apparently." Said Storm Shadow. "Wild animals are so volatile, tame animals are so domestic, so the Commander decided to get rid of both, making them compliant."

Theresa and Storm Shadow stayed on different sides of the table, circling around it slowly.

"Cobra's in prison, how has he been doing this?"

Storm Shadow shrugged. "I don't know and I do not really care, his pet projects aren't my main concern right now."

"I already told you, I don't know where he is." Theresa said, trying to keep her voice steady.

"I know but I don't suppose he gave you some sort of contact?" Something must've shown in her face because Storm Shadow narrowed his eyes and jumped over the table, pushing her against one of the cages. Something curled around her legs and Theresa released a high-pitched moan as two boa constrictors slid in between the bars and around her legs. She thrashed angrily, trying to lift one leg to stomp on the snake confining her other one. It hissed and snapped at her, its fangs grazing her foot and slicing it open. Theresa cursed as Storm Shadow leaned in towards her.

"Don't worry, that one isn't poisonous. Its spine has been reinforced with augmented steel though."

"Oh, is that all?" Theresa wheezed, noticing the uninterrupted pattern of stitches on the snake's back.

She glared up into his face defiantly and spat in his face, he raised his hand as if to strike but paused, waving his hand over her feet. The snakes retracted and he grabbed her arms, pulling her back into the room with the Faceless Master and then out the door again. They were back outside and it was raining, Theresa's heels squealed against the rock as Storm Shadow opened the cage and threw her inside. Her shoulder collided with the wall, making her body turn midair and she landed on her bum. Groaning, she looked up at Storm Shadow and watched him close the cage door, allowing the rain to flow freely from above.

 _Well…that could've been worse._

Theresa snorted, sighing and pushing herself into a corner, hoping the rain wouldn't fall as hard from that vantage point. Her shoulder was burning and she awkwardly jutted it out, a red welt was starting to appear, and at least the rain helped cool it down along with all the burn marks.

She had to be realistic for a moment: what could she honestly lose by telling Storm Shadow about Snake Eyes? Sure she couldn't quite remember the web address or password but she was more than willing to bet she would if the right amount of pressure was involved. She grimaced, trying for another look at the rash.

 _You know he's got more than lightning bugs in that torture chamber, right?_

"Snake Eyes is a ninja, he could take it." She whispered aloud.

 _Maybe but everyone's got a breaking point._

"His friends would find him, they're good at that." She peered up though the rain. "Besides, what use am I really?"

 _Dude, how much of this place have you seen? There's no way in hell they're just gonna let you go, seeing so much of that stuff._

"So, I'm dead then, is that it?"

… _Snake Eyes will find you._

Theresa laughed and leaned her head against the wall.

"Snake Eyes doesn't even know I'm here."

* * *

 **Thanks to everyone who's been reviewing, I know this is a little shorter but it just a big set up for plot. _Big_ set up. **

**Thanks again!**


	11. Chapter 11

**CHAPTER ELEVEN: Chaotic Reunions**

Jinx stood at the mouth of a dense forest as her sensei perched atop the edge of a cliff overlooking an old and ruined village. He had been standing there for a while now and she, being the obedient student, waited patiently until he called for her. Or moved. Or did anything, really. About two weeks ago, Snake Eyes had returned to the Arashikage village requesting her assistance in a rescue mission. She assumed one of his teammates had been captured and Jinx was more than happy to accompany Snake Eyes on his assignment, however; he'd been decidedly secretive about the exact mission details.

So far they'd travelled to older Arashikage settlements all over Japan but these weren't anything great; Jinx was technically clan head since her cousin's betrayal, death, and sub-sequential resurrection. She knew about all these places and informed her sensei that any activity would have been reported immediately, not to her necessarily, but the Blind Master certainly. However, Snake Eyes was adamant they still investigate.

Jinx watched at her sensei with a slight frown and edged her way towards him until she was but inches away; she couldn't gauge anything from his body language aside from intense concentration.

"Nothing is here, Master. We must move on." She said quietly, leaning forward to try and catch his attention.

Snake Eyes lifted a hand and rose to his feet, sliding in behind her and guiding her eyes to a mountain in the distance. Jinx cocked her head to one side and blindly reached into her pack for a map, the two of them held an end each and Jinx nodded with a wide-eyed stare.

"My mistake," she conceded, giving her master a nod. "Forgive me."

" _No harm done. Let's go."_

* * *

"Do you remember now?"

The rod bit into her back and a stream of electricity shot up and down her spine in nauseating waves. Theresa threw her head down and grit her teeth together, but a strained scream pried her mouth open regardless. She gasped and shook her head rapidly from side to side, trying to wretch her arms free from the wall where they had been chained. Nothing worked, her body was too weak and her mind was preoccupied with the shocks and hits she was taking. Another blow smashed into her back, making her skin hiss in protest as it burned – perhaps he assumed she hadn't heard him or maybe it pleased him to see her so weak. Theresa had given up acting brave a long time ago.

"I can't! I can't!" she screamed, hot tears streaming down her face.

"Then maybe we should try a different approach."

Theresa heard the rod slam down into a nearby table, felt Storm Shadow lean over her and unhook the heavy chain from the wall. A grim look settled into his face and he refused to meet her gaze as he dragged her down into the hall she'd disappeared into days ago. He drew her up a winding staircase to the top of one of the tubes, kicking open the lid and forcing Theresa to bend over it. She didn't see any harmful fish which lifted her spirits until Storm Shadow pushed her inside; the chains were not nearly heavy enough to drown her but the lid still came down. Tiny fish no bigger than her index finger weaved in between her legs, their cold scaly bodies brushing up against her skin. Theresa jerked in spite of herself, lifting her head and awkwardly clamoured for the sparse air within the container.

She heard something _thunk!_ into the top of the tube and gasped as a flood of water poured into the container, forcing her head underwater. She kicked the glass blindly, the liquid made her eyes sting; she started pounding on the glass with her hands as the fish started nibbling on her ankles and heels with their hot little mouths, going for her hips and collar bone.

 _I can't breathe._

Was he trying to kill her? If he wanted information, she needed to be alive, right? Or was there still a way to extract the information from her? Had he mined memories from the animals? Was that how he knew about her and her family? About Snake Eyes?

 _I can't breathe…I can't breathe. God, no, let me out of here, I honestly can't remember!_

Maybe she could've surprised the bastard at the cabin. Whip up some traps.

 _I can't hold it in…_

* * *

Snake Eyes and Jinx scaled the mountainside without the use of harnesses or safety ropes, carefully maneuvering up the rock to a tiny settlement tucked into a large crevasse near the topmost peak. A thin tower of smoke had twisted up from the mountain, alerting Snake Eyes to the idea _someone_ was using the tiny village. It was old, very old. Abandoned long ago during the peak of the clan wars in Feudal Japan when the Arashikage seized control of the area in the years after a tentative peace was reached. It was later deserted as the modern era crept in, and the Arashikage left in favour of placing their secret villages in the more populated areas; Jinx herself was trained in a dojo in Denver.

But very few people were aware of this particular settlement, it was kept strictly in the family. There was no treasure or anything like that but strategically, it was a massive fortress carved into the mountains with many winding tunnels and secret openings. Unassuming in appearance because the first thing one would see was a derelict village of stone huts, painstakingly cut from the rock. There was little evidence anyone had lived there in a long time but a steady pillar of smoke still rose from one of the farthest huts. Snake Eyes moved inside first, taking in the dusty interior and observing the back wall where a blanket of fine dirt had been seemingly blown back from the wall. Snake Eyes knelt and gently knocked his fist against the wall and an almost pleased aura came off his body.

"Hollow?" Jinx asked, bending down and pressing her ear against the wall. Snake Eyes tapped against the rock again and Jinx heard the soft echoing sound of his knuckles against the stone.

Jinx made to grab a small detonator from her pack but Snake Eyes held up a hand, filtering his fingers along the floor and then tucking them under what was presumably a door. Jinx huffed and squeezed in beside him, the two of them lifting the slab of stone up and quickly rolling inside. It was pitch black darkness for several miles, they two of them sliding along the walls like shadows until the sound of their footsteps echoed on metal flooring versus stone. Heavy boots marched towards them and the ninja went rigidly still as two Cobra soldiers passed them. A dim light was at the end of the corridor, the two soldier were likely checking the secret passageway. Jinx heard the scrapping of Snake Eyes's sword leaving its sheath and watched the soldiers pause and turn to look in the direction of the sound.

Jinx slowly pulled a section of wire from a clasp around one of her wrists and leapt onto the back of one of the soldiers. She twined the wire tightly around his throat, keeping it secure with one of her hands as the other came over his mouth. He reached up and grabbed at her hair and ears but Jinx dug her knees into his sides, pulling tighter and tighter. Snake Eyes had cleanly impaled his own soldier, shoving him soundly into a wall and slitting open his throat with a concealed knife. Jinx felt a twinge of fear come over her as her sensei veered around and inserted the knife into her enemy, feeling him grown limp in her arms.

"I had it under control," she hissed. Snake Eyes made no comment, stripping one of the dead soldiers and inserting himself into the Cobra uniform. Luckily, one of them wore a mask. Jinx reluctantly followed suit, frowning at the size of the uniform before Snake Eyes nudged her head of him. They stood there for a few minutes, pretending they'd gone back and done a check, then marched out into the light.

Someone had certainly been busy, the inner workings of the mountain had been outfitted with metal walls and floors, and running electricity. The middle of the mountain had been hollowed out as a sort of pseudo-Pit jets and tanks were lined up along each wall. Troops of soldiers stalked the main floor, and several patrolled high walkways and stairs. Jinx anxiously led her teacher up the stairs, searching for anything like holding cells or laboratory –

"Hey you!"

Jinx flinched and skidded to a stop, Snake Eyes stiffened behind her. They both turned towards a high ranking Cobra officer, he grimaced and gave a swift nod.

"Yes, you. Come here."

Jinx swallowed the lump in her throat and trudged towards him, giving him a salute and nod.

"Everything clear in the pass?"

"Yes sir," she answered crisply, Snake Eyes nodded beside her. The man gave him a peculiar look.

"Not like I expected anything. Now, Tsukiyama here is supposed to deliver a meal to the Masters –"

"We can do it," Jinx intercepted coolly. "If he's too scared too, of course."

Tsukiyama was barely out of high school and shivering like a leaf in front of a cart of food, he glanced gratefully at Jinx before his face went blank. The man grinned and clapped Jinx on the shoulder, awkwardly moving to take Snake Eyes's shoulder as well and pulling the two of them forward. Once Jinx and Snake Eyes gave a salute and started wheeling away, the soldier punched Tsukiyama in the face.

"At least _someone_ has balls around here."

Jinx and Snake Eyes were guided by an armed detail and left in front of a large laboratory door, a passcode was imputed and the two of them disappeared inside. Jinx slid out of the Cobra colours and moved around to examine a large metal hoop stuck in wall. The area around the hoop was damp with sweat and blood, jagged patterns of blood dotted either side of the hoop and the floor near it. Jinx's eyes flickered towards Snake Eyes as he picked up a metal rod, pressing a small red button and igniting the cattle prong with electricity. He did not look at her.

"There's a trail over here, Master." Jinx said quietly.

Snake Eyes followed the trail, pulling out both swords as they entered a long dark tunnel. He must've seen something because he took off down the hall faster than bullet from a gun. She heard the clanging of metal and drew her sword, rushing after her master and nearly having her head blown up in the process. A spray of bullets fell over the threshold of the hallway and she rolled under the gunfire, throwing a small dagger in the rough direction of the attack. As she got back to her feet, she saw someone fall off a raised platform, dropping a small machine gun that went off again as it hit the floor. Sensing something hurling towards her, Jinx leapt out of the way just as Snake Eyes slid along the floor, his swords crossed over his chest.

"Cousin," Storm Shadow sneered, casually stalking towards them. "I'm surprised to see you, I thought the Arashikage was too busy rearing you for leadership."

"I cannot be leader until you are punished for your crimes, Storm Shadow." She growled angrily in response.

Snake Eyes shook with anger and abruptly turned his attention away from his once best friend, flying at Jinx with a cry and swinging heavily at her head. Jinx blocked his swords and twisted under his arms, sending her foot into his back. He stumbled and whipped around to glare before spinning his blades around in attempts to confuse her, he slashed with his left arm and Jinx blocked, ducking under his right and shoving the hilt of her katana under his chin.

Meanwhile, Snake Eyes swung both of his swords into a tall glass tube where a flood of strange green liquid emptied out onto the floor. Jinx awkwardly dodged another sword swipe, her feet slipping precariously as Snake Eyes stood up with a person in his arms.

"Storm Shadow!" a voice called and Snake Eyes glanced up as the white ninja jumped backwards and scaled the wall. Jinx hurled kunai at him as he disappeared through a small door. She ran at the wall and Snake Eyes gave a loud whistle, Jinx stopped and turned towards him with a surprised look on her face.

"But –"

Snake Eyes shook his head, gesturing for Jinx to move ahead of him and she did, sending her cousin a mean glare before they ran down the hall. Soldiers had filed into the lab by the time the two of them returned and Jinx sheathed her blade in favour of multiple small knives, sending each into the throats of her enemies. The pair crashed through the doors, Jinx kicked the cart ahead of them and knocked over several men, flying past the soldier from earlier and down the secret path.

"What's our escape plan again?" Jinx yelled, staring anxiously at Snake Eyes as they bent and lifted the door up.

On the other side, they piled objects in front of the door and moved into the village, Snake Eyes pulled out what looked like a sleeping bag and carefully laid the person onto it. Taking a closer look, Jinx realized this was not someone she had met before. She gave Snake Eyes a look as he moved the wet hair from the stranger's face, his fingers freezing as her head rolled to one side. He pulled up the bottom of his mask up, startling Jinx as she moved to cover his back in case the soldiers surprised them. Jinx looked over her shoulder as Snake Eyes bent over the woman's mouth, unconsciously touching her own lips and flushing. In the faint moonlight, she had caught a glimpse of the jagged scar that cut diagonally over his mouth.

The woman gasped and coughed, Jinx heard Snake Eyes sigh and then the sound of his mask being pulled back down over his face. The women screamed, blubbering nonsense as she scrambled backwards from the ninja with flailing arms and clumsy feet. She managed to stand up as Snake Eyes rushed forward and caught her in his arms as she swayed, pathetic moans issued from her lips as Snake Eyes attempted to silently soothe her.

Jinx turned and noted her sensei's approach was poor at best, he still wore the Cobra uniform and unless he was willing to break his vow of silence, this woman would not be calm. The woman managed to pry herself out of his grip and collapse into the wall of a nearby house, Snake Eyes quickly shed the Cobra uniform and then started signing rapidly. A look of recognition passed over the woman's face and she sank to the ground with her hands over her face.

"I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry," she sobbed. Snake Eyes's shoulders lifted with a sigh and he knelt beside her, carefully grabbing her hands and pulling them away from her face. Even from this distance, Jinx could see dark spots of blackened skin on her face and body, a wicked scar crossed from one side of her face to the other.

Snake Eyes started signing again but Jinx couldn't quite make out what he was saying, whatever it was only seemed to make the woman cry more. Jinx back at the hidden passageway, hoping their enemies would break through and she could hit something. Snake Eyes and the woman were now hugging and he was leading her to the sleeping bag, signing that he'd like her to get inside.

"No, no, no." she stuttered.

" _They'll be here shortly, I can't fight and carry you at the same time."_

"Then leave me!" she screamed, pushing him away and pacing around. "Just…just go!"

" _Theresa, please."_

Jinx rolled her eyes and reached into her pack, pulling out a small syringe and walking towards Theresa. She wrapped an arm around the taller woman's waist and stabbed the syringe into her neck. Snake Eyes reached forward to catch Theresa as her knees buckled and she tipped forward, mumbling incoherently before passing out against his shoulder. He looked up at Jinx, blank-faced but oh so expressive at the same time. Jinx shrugged.

"You said it yourself, she needs the sleep anyway."

Jinx stepped around her master and opened the bag for him, he lifted Theresa up and gently placed her inside, pulling straps over her chest and limbs before zipping the bag shut. He and Jinx pulled out their grappling guns and set themselves up to propel down the mountain and into the forest below. Once the ropes were secure, they hooked themselves onto the wire and flew down the mountainside, feeling the wire wiggle as more bodies joined them. Sensing the danger, Snake Eyes wrapped an arm around Theresa and unhooked himself from the wire, disappearing into the forest as Jinx grabbed a knife and severed the wire.

She fell a few feet into the canopy of mercifully soft leaves, joining her master as he slipped Theresa out of the bag. They discarded it and Snake Eyes lifted the unconscious woman onto his back; the ninja then jumped from branch to branch with Jinx occasionally stopping to fend off attack by other ninja dressed in red. The kunoichi flipped backwards onto a branch to avoid a sword, lowering herself before launching herself at a foe, sheathing her blade in his stomach. She jumped off his body, hearing the clatter of swords above her head and remembering that Snake Eyes would be fighting with a handicap.

She jumped back up, dodging a round of gunfire and yelped as someone wrapped an arm around her waist and threw her higher into the branches. She landed rather awkwardly on her feet and peered into the darkness, vague dark shapes now fought with the red ninja. Snake Eyes landed beside her on the branch, adjusting his hold on Theresa and nudging her with his foot as a helicopter roared overhead, its searchlight momentarily blinding them.

"Called in some favours?" Jinx asked, turning with a smile just as Snake Eyes vaulted off the branch and farther away.

Rolling her eyes, Jinx struggled to catch up to him, a part of her still wishing to get in on the action and more or less to go after Storm Shadow. Anything was better than running away.

The helicopter swerved in the air over their heads and a rope ladder that Snake Eyes managed to bypass completely as he flew into the open door with one powerful jump. Jinx grabbed onto the ladder and quickly pulled herself up, and Snake Eyes already had Theresa an examination table with a doctor ready to look after her. He took a seat next to her and Jinx resigned herself to sitting near the pilot.

"Mission successful, returning to base."

* * *

 **Thanks for bearing with my short chapters for so long, I'll aim for 3,000 and higher.**

 **And thanks for reviewing because reviews = motivation :)**


	12. Chapter 12

**CHAPTER TWELVE: Waking Up In My Brand New Scars**

One year during the summer, Logan fell asleep in the pool at a friend's house. The rest of us had wandered inside for lunch, assuming Logan snuck in to use the bathroom because he'd already admitted to peeing in the flowering lilac bushes in a secluded corner of the yard. I remember this because I was on my period that weekend and I was so bloody paranoid about leaking that I frequently visited the bathroom, and found that Logan was _not_ there. When I went back outside with the others, one of the younger kids started screaming as they pointed to my older brother starfishing in the middle of the pool. He didn't have a life jacket on but he was perfectly still on the surface of the water, so Hideki thought it was a wonderful idea to jump on him. The younger kids were all from the neighbourhood and not really part of our group and assumed bloody murder, running in to tell Mrs. Morris that Logan was dead.

Logan was not dead, big surprise, and Hideki was killing himself laughing as Logan sputtered and threatened to kill him. I wonder if the two of them had any idea that they'd be married someday. Probably not.

Point is, that's how waking up felt like, as if I was lying on a patch of semi-solid…stuff – weightless, thoughtless, and utterly nonexistent. I didn't open my eyes for a long time, taking in the subtle sound of someone breathing beside me and the constant beeping of my heart monitor. I got my appendix removed in that same year, I remember coming out of the anesthesia and hearing the monitor remind me my heart was still beating. Unlike the hospital though, this place didn't smell nearly as sterile and the bedding wasn't as stiff; I so wanted to turn onto my side but I didn't want to disturb the equipment plugged into me. That meant someone would come and fix it, probably getting me to wake up in the process and I wasn't ready for that yet.

My back was oddly itchy, that sensation quickly overriding the feel of my fingertips against the cool mattress, how my hair stuck to my face. I wanted to scratch the feeling away, I could hear the monitor pick up speed as I grew more and more agitated. When I opened my eyes, I looked over and found the source of the breathing. Snake Eyes sat in a chair near the bed, arms and legs crossed and head cocked to one side as I sat up. I still wanted to scratch my back but I was gradually made aware of all the bandages, including a really awkward one around my face. I blinked at him, tilting my head and almost mirroring his position. His shoulders seem to shake and I wondered if that's how ninja are supposed to laugh…you know, mechanically and quietly, like a puppet with strings attached only to their shoulders.

I think I smiled and Snake Eyes reached out to take my shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze before he lifted his index finger and asked me to wait. He got up and walked towards the door of what I guessed was the infirmary, there was a bluish screen near the door and Snake Eyes tapped his fingers in a really precise way. He walked back towards me and ruffled my hair.

" _How are you feeling?"_ He signed slowly, I was nodding with each movement as if to confirm that I hadn't forgotten what he'd taught me.

"Funny. Like…fuzzy?" I swallowed and made a face, my voice was awfully soft.

" _You've been asleep for almost a week, Theresa."_

I opened my mouth for a yawn but something didn't fire quite right, Snake Eyes was suddenly on the bed with a hand on my shoulder and another one holding the back of my head. I leaned into him, I thought I ought to, my forehead locked against his as I tried to breathe right. I could hear him breathing fine and tried to copy, we sat like this for a while until I was confident I wouldn't pass out, and the monitor was steady again. My head was still starfishing, too warm and too rigid.

"Where are we?"

" _I'm not authorized to tell you."_

Snake Eyes moved but I couldn't see him, everything suddenly tipped to one side and turned black real fast. He had me by the shoulders and I put it together that I nearly toppled off the bed. I saw something else, someone else, but I couldn't get the picture to form.

" _Don't force it."_ He signed. _"You don't need to remember all at once."_

"A week?" I mumbled, trying to get my head straight.

" _Yes,"_ Snake Eyes signed reluctantly. _"You would've been awake sooner."_

Frowning again, I lifted a hand and scrubbed a finger along my neck. Didn't someone…?

" _A sedative, my student thought it was best."_

"I think I remember her…severe-looking chick." I glanced up at his face, his visor specifically, and stared at my reflection. The bandage was wrapped over the bridge of my nose.

" _She carries a lot of responsibility and is an exceptional fighter."_

"Social interaction isn't a forte, I take it?"

If Snake Eyes made a face, I couldn't quite tell, but he seemed both annoyed and pleased with my statement. We both sighed and I looked away, taking in the pristine condition of the white walls and floors, the immaculate gleam of the metal appliances, and the little bits of technology I hadn't seen before.

"I'm in America?" I questioned, Snake Eyes nodded. "Aren't there, like, rules or something for entering your country? Am I going to be in trouble?"

Snake Eyes didn't "say" anything and stood up from the bed, walking around and distracting himself by peering at the chart attached to the foot of my bed. I folded my arms over my chest and raised an eyebrow, my head clearing up a little more as I watched him.

"Snake Eyes?"

He looked up.

"What the hell is going on?"

He dropped the chart and raised his hands to answer when the door opened and an older man strode inside, standing expectantly beside the ninja. He looked official, there were hard lines on his face and his dark hair was starting to grey a bit on either side of his temples; I gave him a lame nod and he smiled.

"Good to see you awake. You had Snake Eyes a little worried."

Snake Eyes didn't react in any way I could see, and I know I was blushing.

"Uh…yeah, glad to be awake, I guess." I rubbed my face, brushing against the bandage. "And please, call me Theresa, everyone else does."

"Fine by me, I'm General Hawk –"

"Snake Eyes's boss?"

"Most of the time, yes," he paused and gave Snake Eyes a sidelong glance. "If you're ready, there are a few things I'd like to discuss with you."

I arched an eyebrow and glanced at Snake Eyes who had his arms crossed tightly over his chest and I could clearly see his shoulders moving with each breath he took. I wondered if he was upset about something and then I looked down at my arms, one part confused because I'd been copying him and another because I had a hard time seeing my own skin. Everything from the tips of my fingers to my shoulders were carefully wrapped in bandages. Another set was bound precariously around my chest and back with large strips of padding taped to my back. I lifted the edge of the blanket still covering my legs and flinched as they received the same treatment, I couldn't even see my toes.

I was very aware of the two of them watching me as I put my fingers over my face, feeling the wide strip of cloth stuck to it and then feeling my fingers slip into tiny little craters created by tiny little –

"Do we have to do this now?"

Hawk's expression softened. "Whenever you're ready. I was actually wondering if you were hungry, the cafeteria food here is great and I think a change in clothing and scenery would be nice. Right?"

As General Hawk gave Snake Eyes a very pointed look, my stomach growled with anticipation at the prospect of eating something. I stared at Snake Eyes with a hopeful gaze and he uncrossed his arms and shrugged, striding towards another room and flicking the lights on. General Hawk nodded and politely excused himself, explaining there were a few things he needed to prepare for our talk. In the meantime, Snake Eyes came back into the room and pulled the sheets off, carefully moving my legs off the bed and staring down at them.

"Do you think they can come off?" I asked timidly as he rubbed my feet. He let go after a moment and nodded.

" _The doctor said you were very lucky, the major injuries are this foot,"_ he pointed to my left one, _"and there's an…impressive bruise on your back."_

I was about to ask about the apparent scar on my face but he didn't seem comfortable discussing my other injuries, so I decided not to press it. As he ripped one edge of the bandage, he looked up at me again.

" _If I make you uncomfortable at all, please tell me."_

"Got it," I said, trying to smile. He shook his head and started unravelling the bandages on my right leg. There were tiny circular marks all over my skin, wrinkly black and a few times I needed him to stop because I kept feeling tiny legs crawl all over me and I couldn't stop shaking. Several times I tried to kick him and he stopped each time, asking if it was alright to continue and I still said yes, involuntarily kicking him whenever he brushed up against a sensitive spot.

The left leg was substantially better and I was suddenly super grateful that the bandages only came up to mid-thigh and I had the strength to take care of them. Snake Eyes still bound up my left foot and I saw two huge puncture marks left in my skin. The burn marks were just as extensive and as we undid the wrappings around my arms, it was the same thing. My fingerprints, I noted, had not been tampered with but smaller burns circled my fingers and made my hands look like a connect-the-dots gone horribly wrong. At this point, Snake Eyes helped me walk into the bathroom where he pulled out a stack of clothes and aided me in getting dressed. I think I was too tired to really care if he saw me naked or not, and too interested in cataloguing the black dots of burning skin that moved over my stomach but shied away from my breasts. A few clamoured their way up my neck and one sat behind my ear, and a few were printed on my face.

The pad on my back was removed and I asked Snake Eyes to help me see it, he lifted a small mirror up and I peered into it, a wide band of purple travelled along my spine. I fastened the bra on, realizing it was actually my own because it fit well, and once I pulled the shirt on, I pulled off the bandage from around my face. I didn't remember when this happened. It began one one side of my face under my eye, over my nose, and then ended under my other eye. I didn't think it reached bone but it glided over the skin covering the bottom edge of my eye socket, it made more and more sense as to why I didn't remember.

I thought we were done but then Snake Eyes grabbed a stool and asked me to lean my head over the sink. He stood back and put his hands behind his neck, peeling the suit away from his body and freeing his arms and hands from the tight leather. It felt weird for him to be bare-chested again, even weirder as he turned the water on and started washing my hair. I knew it was longer now, that bothered me some, longer hair always made me look younger than I actually was. He was very gentle with it too, I could feel myself falling asleep the longer it took for him to clean it. Once he finished, I practically fell into his chest as he towel dried it.

"At this rate, I'm gonna fall asleep again, Hayabusa." I mumbled into the scars on his chest. He patted my back and carefully took me by the shoulders, and turned me around. I ran my fingers through the longer strands and frowned, Snake Eyes held up a pair of scissors and I nodded while shutting my eyes.

"Wake me up when you're done, this kind of stuff always makes me sleepy."

* * *

"Can I ask a stupid question?" I asked as we sat down at a table.

The cafeteria was mostly empty but Snake Eyes still insisted in taking a seat in the emptiest corner so he could properly survey the area for enemies or intruders or whatever. He wasn't planning on eating anything and gladly loaded up my tray with a soup, sandwich, and a colourful fruit salad.

" _There are no such things as stupid questions between friends, Theresa."_

I tore open the wrapper on my crackers for my soup. "You do…take that off, don't you?"

He looked down at his body. _"You know I do."_

"Those times were different." I told him, pointing my finger at him. "I thought ninja were about blending in with their surroundings and here you are: a big black wolf in a field of grazing sheep."

He moved his shoulders nonchalantly and waved his hand towards the food, I took a quick spoonful of soup to appease him.

"Come on, when you're not risking your life on the battle field, do you ever take off the gimp suit?" _I think that was the only reason I played Yaiba, for that line alone._

He leaned forward and put his elbows on the table, lacing his fingers in front of his face as if it wasn't hidden enough. I had the distinct feeling that if anyone from his team was around, they'd be laughing. Most likely Ripcord though.

"Uh –"

" _I take it off,"_ he signed after a long, tense pause. It was like that time in the studio, the silent guilt trip thing that made me feel years younger.

"J-just curious. It can't be very comfortable to wear all the time, like binders and whatnot; too tight and stuff."

He nodded and I quietly ate my crackers and soup. I didn't think I pissed him off but maybe he was used to people my age being subservient, he trained newcomers here, right?

"How old are you?" I asked him suddenly, dividing my sandwich in half.

" _Is this twenty questions?"_

"I can make it fifty, if you'd like." I said with a raised eyebrow, giving him an eyeful of my sassy grin.

" _Twenty-six."_

"Huh. Interesting." I took a bite and grabbed a water bottle to wash it down.

" _What is?"_

"I guess I just pictured you older….not that you look old but you carry yourself in a…more older way? Geez, I do English good."

We ended up in General Hawk's office some time later where suddenly, everyone became mute. Snake Eyes was hovering behind me like a protective mother hen and General Hawk was pacing behind his desk like an anxious rooster awaiting his chicks; I sat awkwardly in my seat, hoping maybe they'd like to do so as well. After Hawk passed his desk five more times, he turned to face me and sighed deeply.

"Your encounter with Storm Shadow is not something we're eager to repeat," he started slowly, trying to gauge my reaction. "There's a chance, however small, that he'll come after you in the future so we're moving you into protective custody –"

"Does my family know about this?"

General Hawk frowned and took a seat behind his desk.

"They don't? Snake Eyes," I wheeled around to stare at the ninja.

" _For all they know, you've gone missing."_

"You've got to be kidding me, isn't this illegal?" I spun around to face General Hawk and he lifted a folder.

"Technically, yes. The Canadian government is aware of the situation and have graciously sent the necessary papers to get you started on your new life here. Until the threat of Cobra has been eliminated, these are the steps we need to take."

"But eliminating said threat could take years! And if Storm Shadow could come back to life –"

General Hawk narrowed his eyes and I turned around to look at Snake Eyes as his hands repeated the first part of his sentence.

" _Cobra had little to do with Storm Shadow's death, and I should've produced proof of his death."_

"Bullshit! How were you supposed from the get go that he was alive? This is ridiculous."

" _It's for your own good."_

I glared at him. I wanted to hit him so badly but General Hawk sighed and opened the folder, sliding it over to me and gesturing for me to read it over.

"I know this isn't an easy task, you'll be confined –"

"Excuse me?"

"Well – _restricted_ to this facility and any others under my direct authority in case you need to be moved. That is a key to your room and there's also a clearance card as you unwittingly have undisclosed information regarding Cobra."

Snake Eyes put a hand on my shoulder and I growled, crossing my arms over my chest.

"So what if Cobra is your problem? Why aren't I back home or at the very least, how come the Canadian government isn't in charge of my protection?"

Snake Eyes sat down and I did anything to not look at him which including biting my tongue. General Hawk rubbed the back of his neck and breathed deeply through his nose, I guess he had it in his head that whatever he was going to say was going to piss me off.

"As you mentioned, Cobra is my problem. The G. I. Joes have been working to put both him and the organization down on top of handling covert missions all over the world. We have better resources to better protect you in case something goes wrong. The United States has been spearheading the eradication of Cobra for a long time and every time we get close, he slithers away. No one else is cut out for this."

 _Basically, we're playing Piggy in the Middle until someone else can reach the ball and do some damage._ I leaned back and grabbed the folder, eying a couple of pages that needed some information.

"Wait a minute…Protective custody implies some sort of glorified babysitting gig…how come I'm being asked to change all my personal information?"

I looked up at General Hawk as he brought his hands together on the desktop, I looked over and saw the back of a photograph. He noticed my gaze and turned it around to show a picture of a woman who I assumed to be his wife and their son.

"My word choice wasn't exactly fair but as far as Cobra goes, witness protection is our only option. There's always the chance that someone could revive Cobra or similar groups could form, this is better for you and your family in the long run. I'm sorry."

I closed the folder and let out a deep breath I hadn't realized I was holding in. Snake Eyes got up and moved towards the door, waiting for me to follow, and I glanced up at Hawk.

" _For all they know, you've gone missing",_ that's what he'd said. How long would it take before they assumed I was dead? Would they hold a funeral for me or continue to hope?

"Can I make a small request?" I whispered.

"I'll certainly see what I can do."

"Please bring Logan and Hideki home…they crashed in forest near the house…Mom deserves that much."

* * *

My room was across the hall from Snake Eyes's, so he walked me there after we left General Hawk's office. He promised a tour of the facility and he'd contact me the moment they found Logan and Hideki. It was probably a bad idea for them to go home though, really: If the two of them were dead, Mom would only assume I was dead too or maybe she'd reclaim her lost religion and pray that all the animals left me alone. Wasn't there a story like that in the Bible, something about a den of lions…what was his name, Daniel? I think it was Daniel, would've been ironic if his name had been Leo.

The room wasn't anything extravagant. Grey carpeted floors, muted walls, and there was a fluffy brown comforter on the bed. There was a small bathroom with a shower and toilet packed close together, a tiny sink and a mirror that opened up so one could store stuff. A small closet, a dresser, two bedside tables. I dropped the folder onto one of them and sat on the bed, staring out into the hallway. I wasn't looking at anything but I saw Snake Eyes open his door and Taiga came bolting out of his room, colliding with my legs as they hung off the bed. His tongue licked just about every part of me and I patted the bed, he leapt on top and jumped up on my shoulders like a whimpering pup.

"I missed you too, buddy." I whispered hoarsely, pulling him off and crawling further onto my bed as he nestled in between my legs, his tail thudding against the bed.

Snake Eyes leaned in the doorframe with his arms loosely folded over his chest, he didn't appear nearly as tense and I looked down at Taiga's happy face.

"Thanks for finding him," I said quietly. "And I'm sorry for…fuck, I don't know."

I ran a hand through my hair and sighed, Snake Eyes moved away from the door and shut it behind him, he flicked on the light and I was made all the more aware of the lack of windows. He sat down on the floor and reached for Taiga.

" _You have nothing to apologize for. I'm the one Storm Shadow was looking for, I put you in this situation."_

"Which I could've avoided if I actually contacted you." I batted his hand away from my dog.

" _Then why didn't you?"_ He stopped moving and just stared at me. I opened my mouth for a smart retort but my brain kept latching onto the excuse of "I didn't want you to get hurt". But it didn't work, it didn't fit. That wasn't it.

"I got myself into that problem, and I should've been able to get out of it too." That answer didn't impress either of us. I knew it wasn't the right answer but…what else was I supposed to say?

Snake Eyes made no real reaction, rising off the bed without another word and walking out the door. Taiga trailed behind him, jerking when the door shut on him but he nonetheless sat down in front of it and waited. We waited for nearly fifteen minutes and I figured he was pissed at me, so I got ready for bed and stared blindly ahead.

There was no painted mural on the wall, and there never would be again.

* * *

 **Thanks for reviewing and alerting and all that lovely stuff :)**

 **I'll be uploading the next two chapters together because they're shorter than the rest and...yeah. Thanks again.**


	13. Sub Chapter 1

**BETWEEN: PART 1**

I usually sleep headaches off but I woke up with one that wrapped around the back of my head. Mom used to say they were stress headaches which were more potent than the headaches I typically got, the ones that throbbed over my left eyebrow. I peered at the red lettering on the digital clock beside me, 5:23, and groaned. I'd been waking up since the third hour and searching the mirror cabinet in the bathroom for Advil had proven useless. A very small part of me implored that I seek Snake Eyes's assistance but the overwhelming majority of my being argued for the warmth of my bed. Taiga was curled up against my side and he twitched every once and a while, suddenly awake one second and then promptly asleep the next. At least he wasn't losing sleep.

5: 29

I sighed and rolled back onto my side, awkwardly catching the blankets between my toes and pulling them off my body. I shivered as the comforter slipped off my bare shoulders, the fibres getting caught on the scars on my back, and awkwardly climbed out of bed, hands first and feet last. I shoved the clothes from yesterday aside and blindly crawled towards the dresser in the hopes of finding something warmer.

5:41

I found my shoes eventually, I'd somehow kicked them under the bed and after crawling all over the room, I finally remembered that. I dragged myself into the bathroom and shut the door quietly, splashing my face with cold water.

5:46

I shut the bathroom light off before opening the door and returning the pitch blackness of my room, I felt around for my keys and clearance card on top of the dresser and then headed towards my door. As I wrapped my hand around the doorknob, there was a gentle knock and opened the door to reveal Snake Eyes. Taiga immediately woke up and bounded over, bumping his head against Snake Eyes's knee.

" _We found them."_

5:59

We were back in the infirmary and Snake Eyes said I didn't have a lot of time. Their bodies were being sent home at 6:30, they needed to be on the plane by 6:10. Two sleek black bags lay on two separate metal tables. The search team stood in a neat line against one wall and looked away to give me some form of privacy but I sensed the urgency; they kept shifting their weight and glancing at the door. I remembered that at least one of their heads was split open and it wouldn't make sense to patch their bodies up here. I placed one hand on each bag and groaned at how stiff they were. I lifted them again and tucked my hands into the pockets of my pants, biting down on my lip and shaking my head.

"I told you so, didn't I?" My vision was blurring and I started blinking my eyes. "I told you it wasn't a good idea but you didn't listen."

"The storm lasted just that night. You could've gone the next morning but no. You had to be "the adult". Just because you were older than me you thought you knew every fucking thing ever and you didn't listen! Why did you never listen to me? I knew what I was talking about, damnit. I knew what I was talking about."

"But…I-I'm glad Deki went with you. At least he-he had your b-back. And I'm so sorry I didn't find you earlier. I'm so sorry, Logan. I'm so, so sorry. I'm sorry, god, I'm sorry. I'm sorry."


	14. Sub Chapter 2

**BETWEEN: PART 2**

Snake Eyes was mostly alone in the dojo that night. Moments ago, one of the glass doors opened and Snake Eyes didn't need to open his eyes to know it was Theresa. He could hear her sniffling and a muffled high-pitched whine as she tried to stay silent; she'd spent most of the day alone in her room refusing food and company, so Snake Eyes was available for other duties but more specifically training. Now with the threat of Cobra becoming more apparent, new recruits had been flown in and most were not especially well-versed in hand-to-hand combat.

A therapist had been posted outside her room but Theresa did not ask for counsel, the therapist left after a few hours of silence.

Softly closing the door, she turned and stared blearily behind her at the wall made entirely of glass which allowed everyone a chance of viewing Snake Eyes's training regime. There were at least three glass doors to enter and exit from, and across the glass on the other wall with tiny portholes stuck near the roof where Theresa could just barely make out starlight. She walked along the slanted panels of light until she was embraced by the darkness of the room, sitting against one wall and idly moving her fingers between the darkness and the light, casting thin shadows that didn't stretch far.

She watched Snake Eyes for a long time, waiting for him to respond to her presence. Her head still pulsated with numbing pain from all the crying she had done, and one part of her felt incredibly tired while the other balanced sickness and agony.

As the lights in the hallway started flickering out, Theresa stared down at her naked toes as Snake Eyes slowly shook himself out of his mediation. He stared around the room and took in Theresa curled up against the wall, knees tight against her chest and arms lying flat on either side of her body. He padded over to her and knelt down in front of her, placing his hands on her cold feet and waiting until she looked up at him. She would not look at him directly, focusing on a space over his shoulder. There was a bit of blood on her lip from where she'd been biting it and she let out a shaky breath.

"Taiga's gone," she croaked, flinching at the sound of her own voice.

Snake Eyes sat down and kept his hands on her feet to warm them.

"He was Logan's dog and because I ain't goin' home, Mom oughta have him."

She shut her eyes and dropping her chin into her chest, choking back a sob and moaning. Snake Eyes reached up and grasped her shoulders comfortingly, watching as she dropped her knees and clasped her face. He sighed and gently helped Theresa stand up, guiding her towards a circle of cushions deeper in the darkness of the room. He lit a few lavender and jasmine scented candles and passed her a blanket. He reached up into a closet for a box of tissues and pushed a garbage pail towards her. The ninja sat down across from her, watching her wipe her eyes on the backs of her hands as she took calming breaths. He rose to his feet again and pulled a small box of chocolates from a secret stash and placed them on the ground in front of her. A ghost of smile lit up her face but then she almost instantly dropped it, biting into her lip as the corner of her eyes watered. She pulled the blanket up over her head and took another deep breath, peeking out at Snake Eyes and eyeing the box.

" _Eat some. You'll feel better."_

Theresa raised an eyebrow, one corner of her lips quirking into half a smile. She grabbed a handful of sweets and leaned against the wall, carefully putting one after another into her mouth.

"I want you to teach me how to fight," her voice was strikingly softer to the point where Snake Eyes wasn't sure if he'd heard her right. But she looked up at him, looked him straight in the eyes and repeated herself, her voice wavering slightly.

"I want you to teach me how to fight."

" _No."_

Snake Eyes pushed on his knees and stood up quickly, a wave of anger passing over him as Theresa hurled a pillow at the back of his head. He turned around very slowly, giving her the full opportunity to either apologise or run but she held another one, it sailed through the air towards his face but he batted it aside as Theresa stood up. Her eyes darted around the room and her face brightened, she took off across the floor and Snake Eyes ran after her. Theresa skidded to a stop in front of a table of recently polished knives and she was able to pick up two curved blades, Snake Eyes pressed himself against her back and caught her wrists in his hands. She hissed and stomped down on his foot and Snake Eyes grunted, the two of them stumbling backwards as she continued stepping on his toes.

"Let go!" she screeched and Snake Eyes dug his chin into her shoulder in attempts to force her down. She raised one of her feet and slammed her heel into one of his knees, Snake Eyes wobbled for an instant and let go of one of her hands, so Theresa swung her freed arm behind her. Snake Eyes caught the blade and wretched it out of her grasp, so she drove her free fist into his face.

It hurt, of course, and she certainly knew what she was doing but Snake Eyes faced worse. He hooked a leg around one of Theresa's and brought them both to the ground, he held her close so the impact wasn't as painful. It still, however, dislodged the other knife from her grasp and Snake Eyes snatched it up and threw it across the room.

"I'm gonna kill him!" She screamed. "I'll kill him, I swear to God, I'll kill them both."

Snake Eyes carefully lifted himself off her body as Theresa rolled onto her side and sobbed, her breath coming out so quickly he was worried she'd pass out. The ninja rubbed her back and waited patiently until she calmed down, they returned to the small seating area where Theresa continued avoiding his gaze.

"Why won't you teach me?" she asked, her voice toneless and her eyes hard.

" _If I'm going to teach you anything, it will be how to defend."_

She gave him a dubious look, staring right into his visor, and then instantly focused on a point lower on his face.

" _You have every right to feel upset, Theresa. And anger can be channeled positively in battle but you need time. All this pain and anger will do nothing but hinder your training. You'll just want to fight me, not learn from me."_

"Is that experience talking?" she wondered wryly, a grimace on her face.

" _Yes and I'm telling you what my master told me."_ Snake Eyes paused for a moment and looked away, Theresa raised an eyebrow.

" _I had a twin sister once and she was taken from me in an accident. I wandered around for years until the Arashikage took me in and it took even longer for them to properly train me. I was violent and picked fights with those miles ahead of me in strength. I didn't care who I hurt, I didn't care if I got hurt."_

Snake Eyes looked down at his hands and then up at Theresa who wore an expression of unease. He felt similarly, it wasn't as if he went around telling everyone about his past so freely.

" _And her name was Theresa too."_

"Oh God, Snake –"

" _So, please. Give yourself time to grieve and maybe, one day, I'll take you up on your request."_

* * *

 **So yeah, two chapters in one day. Just finished writing Chapter Twenty-Three and it looks like this story will be under 30 chapters long...Meaning I should get started on planning the sequel. Thank you so much for your patience and reviews, and to paraphrase a friend- the more reviews I get, the faster I post! ...no? ehehe, nevermind ;P**


	15. Chapter 13

**CHAPTER THIRTEEN: My Name Was Theresa**

Duke leaned his back against the bars of Ana's cell, tilting his head between the bars so he could watch her pull a white T-shirt over her head.

"You know," she said, "I didn't think I'd need a bodyguard to watch me dress."

"I'm not _really_ looking though."

"You know what I mean, Duke."

The blond soldier stared across the hall and sighed, his eyes shutting for a few sparse seconds before Ana's slender arms wound themselves around his neck, through the bars. He absently moved his head towards her skin and pressed his lips into her arm. Ana had been placed under strict supervision as she underwent detoxification of the nanomites plaguing her body, and although they excelled in repairing damaged cells, the nanomites were responsible for sealing off Ana's memories and transforming her into mindless puppet for Cobra.

Most of the nanomites had been successfully removed save for a cluster attached to her brain stem and no doctor was exactly confident in removing them, so until the Joes could excess Cobra's research, an inhibitor ring had been designed to (hopefully) cancel out any attempts at mind control. Ana's inhibitor was a metallic ring locked around her neck, Duke wished they could've designed something less bulky.

"Do you honestly think Cobra's gonna come and get me? If Storm Shadow's alive and kicking, I'm hardly worth the trouble."

"I don't know, babe, but we're taking precautions." He looked up at her. "But I could leave…if you really want me to."

"Oh stop it."

Ana got up from the floor and slumped into her bed chained to the wall, gathering up her dark hair and pinning it up on her head. Duke rose and gave her a quick smile, turning his head as Scarlet approached.

"We need a word," she said to Ana and pulled Duke down the hall. Once out of earshot, she turned to him. "Snake Eyes succeeded in his mission."

"That's great, how is she?"

"From what Snake Eyes has bothered to tell me, she's in shock. She's lashed out at him a few times…"

"Where is she?"

"Back at base, the story is that she's the General's niece."

"That happens a lot, doesn't it?" Duke said, eyeing Scarlet carefully. "What are our orders?"

"Stay here, we're expecting something to happen any time now."

* * *

Jinx threw a punch directed at Snake Eyes's torso, anticipating his arms falling to his stomach to block – so she shovelled her foot into his hands, leapt up, and rammed her knee into his chin. Snake Eyes staggered backwards, ducking under Jinx's punches, before he sunk to the ground and spun his legs under her feet. She flipped away, grabbing a bo staff from the wall behind her and rushing towards him, thrusting the pole this way and that. The rest of the class watched in silent awe having never seen ninja fight before, most weren't exactly expecting ninja in an America special forces unit but they looked beyond that for the moment.

Snake Eyes continued dodging Jinx's onslaught of attacks, waiting until she raised the staff over her head so he could lunge at her waist. The force of the fall made Jinx loosen her grip on the weapon, Snake Eyes pinned her down and squeezed his knees into her hips as her legs kicked and flailed behind him. Undaunted, Jinx rammed her forehead against her master's, his grip slackened and Jinx pulled both her legs to her chest and forced them against the older ninja. Snake Eyes bent over backwards, flipping away elegantly and picking up the staff in the process. Jinx sent him a seething glare and ran for the swords, drawing two and racing at him full speed.

He blocked each of her attacks, watching bits of wood fly off in all directions. The audience was still caught up in the action but they were beginning to sense a growing tension that wasn't just friendly competition. Jinx spun around, the blades gleaming brightly in the artificial light, and she brought them both down on the bo staff. It shattered, splinters of wood twirling in the air, and Snake Eyes kept the two broken halves. As Jinx rushed towards him again, one sword kept to block attacks to her chest and the other one brandished high over her head, Snake Eyes dipped low and hooked the broken parts to the hilt of her blades, forcing them out of Jinx's hands as he spun and kicked her solidly in the stomach. There was an audible gasp from the crowd and Jinx rolled onto her side with groan, freezing as Snake Eyes held the blades under her chin.

Another fierce glare was sent in his direction but she blinked the anger away, moving onto her knees and bowing until her forehead touched the ground. The other students took this as a sign of the battle's end and started clapping. Snake Eyes helped Jinx back to her feet and the two of them bowed. As these were new recruits, very few had any experience with sign language so the ninja master trusted Jinx to address them.

"That will be all for today, Snake Eyes only wished to show you what you may soon be able to accomplish. Tomorrow, real training begins and I for one suggest you both physically and mentally prepare for the horrors my master will lay upon you."

A few recruits visibly paled, another few nodded uncertainly, and others grinned. Jinx bowed again as Snake Eyes rang a small bell that served as their dismissal. A couple of students came to thank Jinx for the battle – all blushing terribly – and as the room emptied out, Jinx caught sight of the woman.

She was taller than Jinx was, regrettably. Older too but not by much, with very short dark brown hair and green eyes. She was dressed like most of the personnel in the compound; white T-shirt, camo pants, and combat boots. Jinx couldn't ignore the incredible scar that stretched across her face nor the extensive burn marks covering her body, as there wasn't much she could actually do to cover them up. Jinx smirked a tiny bit as the woman waited until the hallway cleared before making her entrance, folding her arm loosely over her chest.

"Thalia," the woman said, holding out her hand. "Thalia James but everyone calls me Jamie."

"Jinx." The lady ninja offered a tight smile and gripped Thalia's hand, mildly surprised as the other woman squeezed with just as much intensity.

"Snake Eyes said you aided in the rescue, so thanks." Thalia said lamely, still not letting go.

"It is my duty to help my master, regardless of your gratitude."

Snake Eyes let out a long sigh and shook his head, both girls took their hands back and Thalia allowed the briefest of smiles to cross over her face.

"Oh, I'm sure," her smile suddenly looked forced as she turned to Snake Eyes. "Be careful with this one, that personable personality of hers is killer."

" _Don't I know it, was there something you needed?"_

Thalia bit her lip, receiving a scolding look by Snake Eyes as her teeth punctured the scar on her lip. She gave Jinx the barest of glances and Jinx sensed it was time for her to leave, Snake Eyes was quick to dismiss her anyway. The young ninja picked up her discarded swords, bowed, and promptly left the training area for someone willing enough to play punching bag. After Jinx safely cleared the hall, Snake Eyes guided Thalia back to secluded area of the dojo where no one could see them.

" _Thalia?"_

"I was also thinking about Nora, Ophelia, and Rowan but I don't know…at least I saved you trouble of giving me a nickname so…yeah." She trailed off a little awkwardly.

" _I like it,"_ Snake Eyes signed sincerely. _"Now, what did you need?"_

"I was wondering if we could go outside or something, I'm not terribly fond of the lack of windows sans the dinky little ones here."

Snake Eyes followed her gaze to the portholes and chuckled quietly.

" _I'd have to clear it with Hawk,"_ he signed carefully, Thalia frowned instantly. _"Or we could sneak out for bit, provided you keep this a secret."_

"My lips are sealed, Hayabusa. Let's go!"

Thalia was up on her feet and practically vibrating by the time Snake Eyes slowly and very deliberately took his time to stand up. He peered out into the hallway and backed into the wall to shut off the lights and automatically lock the doors. Thalia blinked in the near complete darkness and laughed, stretching her arms out in front of her as she hesitantly walked forward.

"If I didn't trust you, this would probably be terrifying." She swung her head from side to side, hoping to catch a glimpse of him but only hearing the slightest sound of his feet on the ground.

"Kay, now you're creeping me out, dude."

Thalia jerked as Snake Eyes wrapped a hand around her wrist and she hissed at him, sliding her hand into his palm and allowing the ninja to guide her. She heard something open, a blast of cool air hit her face, and Snake Eyes tapped his foot against the ground. Thalia raised an eyebrow and started tapping the ground, feeling a bump under the sole of one of her feet. She walked over it and heard the clear sound of a door closing, Snake Eyes turned subtly and Thalia followed blindly.

After a while a little while, bright white lights started flowing upwards ahead of them and it reminded Thalia of the stair lights in movie theatres. Snake Eyes let go of her hand and moved over, allowing her up first. She rolled her eyes and felt for the railing, starting the long trek up.

"Just how big is this place anyway?" she wondered, looking over her shoulder. Snake Eyes was barely visible and she knew he was signing something but couldn't quite make it out. Sighing, she fell in step with him and raised her hand, palm up.

" _Very big."_ He wrote in her hand.

"Lovely. How far is it before we move up into the stratosphere?"

" _Not long. Watch your step."_

Once they reached the last step, Snake Eyes walked off further into the darkness and opened a door. Thalia blinked rapidly and shielded her eyes as she walked out into the hot dry air. The building beneath her feet was grey and when she looked out over the edge of the roof, she was met with a vast orange desert dotted with few wrinkly cacti and far, far away was a metal fence.

"Where are we?"

" _I think you can figure it out. Remember: we're still in America."_

"Um…hot places in America…Las Vegas…Arizona…that's a state….Wait a minute." Thalia looked around again. "Are we in…Area 51?"

" _I can neither confirm nor deny."_

* * *

Snake Eyes left Thalia at her room and was on his way to the dojo when Jinx ran up to him. She didn't appear as angry as she did after their sparring earlier in the day and informed him that the General wished to see them both immediately. The ninja were outside the General's door moments later and Hawk gestured to the television mounted on the wall as a security tape played. Inside, Jinx and Snake Eyes saw two glass containers, the next second showed someone who looked remarkably like Snake Eyes standing in front of them. Jinx gave her teacher a look but Snake Eyes was focused on the screen. The doppelganger, as it were, suddenly lashed out and cut down the guards, shattering the glass of one container and moving out of the camera's view.

The camera cut to a hallway where the very recognizable figure of Cobra Commander strutted down the hallway, the Snake Eyes impersonator pulled off the mask and tossed it aside as guards blocked off both ends of the hallway. Cobra Commander was tossed two guns and started firing, the other man drew out two swords and swung them around, beheading at least two other men. Amidst the fighting, Hawk paused the tape where the face of the other man was visible. Snake Eyes clenched his fists. The focused look on Storm Shadow's face was unmistakable.

* * *

 **Hello! Early update, I'd like to do this kind of thing regularly until you guys are finally caught up with me.**

 **Had a little trouble because I somehow deleted Chapter Nineteen and had to rewrite it over again but I salvaged most all of it, added some stuff here and there.**

 **Anyway, sit tight, the next chapter's a doozie.**


	16. Chapter 14

**CHAPTER FOURTEEN: Click Click Boom**

Thalia was asleep in her room when the alarm went off and her door burst open. She shot up in bed and scampered backwards as a dark shape lunged for her. She fell off the mattress in the process of escaping and chucked a pillow as she landed on the ground. A breathily giggle escaped her lips when she realized it was only Snake Eyes but seconds later, a blast went off and Thalia saw two bloodied shapes fly past the open door. Wide-eyed, Thalia looked up at the ninja and he shook his head rapidly, motioning he'd explain later. He quickly helped her stand and the two of them rushed out of the room, Snake Eyes pushing her ahead as another loud boom rocked the building. A flurry of gunfire erupted somewhere ahead of them and Snake Eyes surged forward and forced Thalia onto her knees against a wall. He drew both swords and disappeared around the corner.

She heard the sound of his swords striking something hard, the clean cling of bullets rebounding off his swords. _What the hell is going on?_ Snake Eyes materialized from around the corner and for a split second, Thalia thought of running in the opposite direction – his posture was so tight and so deadly she nearly forgot who he was for a second. It reminded her of that other ninja, and as Snake Eyes flicked the fresh blood off his swords, sheathing one blade so she could take her hand, Thalia tried not to kick him.

They ran down the hallway and she spared a quick look over her shoulder, seeing large splotches of red blanketing the walls around several limp bodies in Cobra uniforms. She faced forward as they sprinted into the Pit, several of the larger jets were being destroyed by people who looked like the US Army. Snake Eyes jerked Thalia to one side and the two of them boarded an elevator with cracked glass. This time, Thalia needed no sort of cue to duck, kneeling against the wall as someone dove for them.

Snake Eyes tensed for a moment as a hand breached the chamber, Thalia let out a muffled scream the hand was caught between the top of the elevator and the rising floor. There was a loud snap and scream followed the hand's descent into the chamber – the bone splintering off with bloodied chunks. Snake Eyes moved in front of it and put his hands on her shoulders.

"What's going on?" she asked quietly, trying to focus on his face.

Snake Eyes stared at her for a long time as the elevator sunk deeper and deeper into the darkness, he rose as it slowly lurched to a stop. He carefully peeled the cracked glass away and wrapped an arm around Thalia's waist, lifting her off the ground and carrying her over the broken shards. Beads of glass cracked under his feet for a few steps and then he set her on the ground, motioning for her to stay put as he checked the hall. He was back in a couple of seconds and Thalia tiptoed after him into a large, still mostly dark, room where a whole bunch of vehicles were stored. Snake Eyes gravitated towards a huge black monster of a motorcycle, where Thalia looked down at the lime green nightshirt that ran down to her knees and frowned.

"I don't think –"

Snake Eyes reached over the bike and pulled out a long duffel bag, sliding it towards her as he made sure the vehicle was still operational. Thalia bent down and opened the bag, pulling out a full-bodied black suit, not the same tight leather of Snake Eyes's suit but made of some sort of durable fabric. She looked up the ninja's back and shrugged, pulling the suit on and clipping the belt around her waist. The bag was still full of other stuff but she didn't bother examining them too much, she found a pair of black combat boots with socks and pulled those on, joining Snake Eyes.

He turned and gave her a once over, taking the bag and shoving it into a hidden compartment before boarding the bike. Thalia awkwardly climbed on and wrapped her arms around his waist, resting her head between his shoulder blades. He tapped her hands and she sat back, he held a sleek black helmet out and before she had time to put it on herself, Snake Eyes dropped it onto her head.

"Um, I can't see anything Snake Eyes."

The motorcycle roared and she latched onto him again, the bike lurching forward down the darkened hall before the bay doors opened and the bike lifted up into the air. Right around there, Thalia's helmet made a soft beeping sound and she could suddenly see the inky black sky stretching out as far as the eye could see. She tentatively snuck a glance behind and saw dark plumes of smoke rising out of broken windows. Orange flames blossomed inside and when she wanted to get a closer look, the display on her helmet suddenly zoomed in on the front entrance where two Joes lay in crumpled heaps on either side of the door. Thalia shut her eyes and put her head against Snake Eyes's, hoping for sleep.

* * *

"…the G I Joes have exceeded the limits of their mission. On my orders, a new special unit's team codenamed COBRA, has terminated all G I Joe headquarters and personnel with extreme prejudice to avoid civilian casualties. Effective immediately, the G I Joes are no more."

Thalia groaned and rolled onto her side, bringing a pillow close to her chest and breathing out slowly. Her legs ached from the long ride and she could feel the bruise on her back throbbing; unconsciously she straightened out with a whimper and buried her face further into the pillow. She was faintly aware of the sound of running water somewhere in the room, and she tried paying attention to the TV because it sounded kind of important. She sluggishly opened her eyes, looking over the TV and at the two curtained windows where warm sunlight filtered through into the room.

There was another bed across from hers, separated by a small table and lamp, and she leaned over and grabbed the remote and shut the TV off. Thalia carefully sat up, yelping as the angle bothered her bruise, someone darted out from what she guessed was the bathroom and they helped her sit up properly. The pain forced her eyes shut and for a couple minutes, she focused on regulating her breathing as the stranger rubbed gentle circles into her back. The heat from outside stroked her face and she blinked her eyes opening, staring at the unfamiliar face inches from her own. Instinctively, she lashed out and shoved him backwards a few steps.

Ripped black jeans, a dark green T-shirt with a vague design, brown scarf, black leather jacket.

 _Nope_ , she thought. _Not ringing any bells._

Thalia couldn't see much of the man's face as it was covered by one of those designer surgical masks popularized by Eastern countries – it looked like the mouth of a cartoon bear or dog. He had startling blue eyes and Thalia noticed one side of his face looked somewhat paler, as if he had been burned a long time ago. Another scar moved from the centre of his forehead, curved over his nose and cheek before disappearing under the mask again; another scar cut through his right eyebrow. To top it off, he was wearing a black beanie that failed to cover all of his thick blond hair.

Thalia felt very peculiar staring at him, scrutinizing him; something must've shown on her face because he raised hands very slowly and signed a rather lame "Good morning".

"Snake Eyes?" she murmured, sliding off the bed and shuffling close to him, ensuring the height difference was still the same.

He nodded very slowly, his eyes crinkling at the sides as if he was smiling. He _was_ smiling. Actually smiling, and she could tell for once. Thalia bit the inside of her lip, reaching up and carefully tucking his blond (she never thought he was a blond) hair under the hat, tilting her head as his eyes twinkled. This was weird. Like, really weird.

"I'm gonna go over there." she said suddenly, hopping over into the bathroom. Her face suddenly felt very warm and she touched her cheeks with a shake of the head. Thalia remembered fleeing the base with Snake Eyes as the U.S army exterminated all the Joes currently stationed there. She sighed deeply, staring at her still clothed body and wrinkling her nose at the smell of warm leather.

A glance at the sink displayed a row of hair colours lined running from the gamut of conventional to cotton candy pink. Thalia turned her head towards the door of the bathroom where Snake Eyes nodded expectantly. _Pick one_ , he seemed to say but he didn't sign anything. She immediately flicked the pink hair colour into the sink, continuing the motion as she continued staring at Snake Eyes and those blue, blue eyes. One colour was left and she tossed it towards him, glimpsing the bathtub behind her that was full of warm water, residual steam rising off the unbroken surface. Thalia got the hint, watching Snake Eyes pull the door shut as she begun the task of pulling off the suit.

She unclipped the belt and laid it on top of the sink, pulling the zipper of the suit down to her navel and carefully peeling the sleeves off her arms. She leaned against the sink as she pushed the suit down off her legs and kicked it into the corner of the room with her undergarments. Thalia climbed into the bathtub and sunk down, her eyes still on the door as she moved the water over her legs and stomach. Unconsciously, her fingers brushed up against the various little burn marks and bruises still visible – maybe they'd never heal. Thalia released a sigh as she tipped backwards and put her head underwater, keeping her eyes shut and breathing out her nose.

 _So, what now?_

Thalia pushed her face out of the water and exhaled slowly, peering at her knees as they stuck out of water, dark burns dotted her knees along with the growing landscape of gooseflesh. The lights were off in the bathroom, the water was so much warmer than the surrounding air.

"Guess it's just me and him," she said quietly, sitting up and grabbing the small bar of soap.

 _But what does that mean, exactly?_

Thalia shook her head, letting the soap lather up her skin before she looked over the edge of the tub and spotted a small bucket. She picked it off the ground and shoved it under water, pulling up bucket after bucket of warm water and pouring it over her body.

 _I don't know._

When she finished, she exited the tub and wrapped a towel around her body; Snake Eyes was sitting on the bed closest to the TV and Thalia saw a small stack of clothing waiting for her on the other bed. With his eyes fixed on the television, she trusted him not to turn around while she dressed.

He'd picked out a white long-sleeved shirt and a green button-up shirt with shorter sleeves. Because of the extensive burns, almost everything was cotton based, including the soft grey pants that didn't get stuck on her scars. She wandered over to his side and tapped his shoulder once she was done and he pulled off the jacket and scarf he was wearing, leading her back into the bathroom where he opened the box and pulled on the latex gloves.

"So…we're going undercover?" she began, shutting her eyes as Snake Eyes squished the tube of hair colour into his hands. She smiled as it occurred to her that he couldn't answer back yet and exhaled softly. He ran his fingers into her scalp and scrubbed the colour into her hair, it reminded Thalia of another moment between a man and a woman she used to know. When the man had time off, he'd come home and the woman would pull the box out from behind her back and smile that sweet smile. The man would eye her greying hair and nod in agreement and they'd disappear into the bathroom. After a while, one of two children would run for a plastic bag and the woman would gather up her long hair and fit it inside the bag.

Thalia's hair wasn't very long but they still did it that way, with a plastic bag over her head and a towel draped over her shoulders in case any of the hair colour dripped. The two of them walked back into the room, onto their separate beds, and Thalia couldn't take her eyes off him.

"You know what?" she said. "I always pictured you bald, to be honest."

Snake Eyes lay on his stomach and gave her a skeptical look, pulling off his beanie and shaking his hair out. Thalia opened her mouth and laughed, sliding onto the floor and silently asking permission from Snake Eyes touch his hair. He nodded and lowered his head as Thalia crawled over. She hesitated for a moment before Snake Eyes looked up at her and gave another affirmative nod, she carefully moved her fingers through his hair; it was a little past his shoulders, longer than Lo –

She spied a ribbon on the bedside table, maybe to tie up the curtains, and gathered Snake Eyes's hair before attempting it tie it into a ponytail.

"It's so thick…" she mumbled, fumbling with the knot. Snake Eyes sat up and moved his hands behind his hand, Thalia's frown deepened as he turned and showed off his handiwork for the briefest of seconds before pulling the toque back on. She pulled herself onto the bed next to him and looked at the TV rehashing the news broadcast she'd overheard.

"So…what happens now?"

" _We wait. The others will be fine and they'll contact us once they're safe."_

"Are you sure about that?"

" _Do you trust me?"_

"You haven't let me down yet." She conceded. "What colour did I pick out anyway?"

 **...**

… **.**

… **..**

"Oh my god, I'm a blueberry."


	17. Chapter 15

**CHAPTER FIFTEEN: Old Friends Settle Old Scores**

"You want me to what?"

A few days passed since Snake Eyes and Thalia fled the G. I. Joe base, escaping death by friendly fire as the President ordered the organization's violent termination. Sporting a close cut mop of dark blue hair, Thalia had been lounging on one of the beds when Snake Eyes walked over and handed her a couple of bags and a roll of bills with the request of her leaving the motel and crossing the street for groceries. From what Thalia knew, they were still in Arizona camped out in a small town just off the highway; a look outside the window showed a small diner, a gas station, and a 7-11.

Thalia reached up and rubbed a burn mark just below her ear, glancing down at digital clock beside the bed and spying her reflection. Snake Eyes stood at the foot of the bed in a T-shirt and sweat pants, Thalia convinced him earlier to remove the hat, but he seemed anxious for cover. Frowning, she lifted a finger and pointed at her face and the dark marks descending below the neckline of her shirt.

"I can't go out, everyone's going to stare at me," she argued with a glare.

" _And they wouldn't stare at me?"_ to accentuate his point, Snake Eyes tucked his finger behind the black surgical mask to rub his nose.

Thalia threw up her hands and slid off the bed, stalking towards the bathroom and slamming the door shut behind her. Pacing on the cool floor, she let out an aggravated scream and opened the door again, nearly bumping into Snake Eyes as she planted herself on the bed and pulled on her shoes. Avoiding him again, she grabbed a thin sweater from the closet and retrieved Snake Eyes's brown scarf, tying it around the lower half of her face. She held out her hands for the bags and cash, catching sight of a list, before stomping towards the door. As her hand fell over the doorknob, Snake Eyes pressed himself to her back and gave her shoulders a gentle squeeze.

"Don't touch me, I'm not happy with you."

A definite chuckle escaped his lips and Thalia left the motel. Warm air blasted her face, she picked at the scar over her nose and took a deep breath. Their room was on the second level, so she turned towards the stairs and saw her first hurdle. A man came out of the room in front of the stairs with a cart full of fresh towels and cleaning supplies; he saw her and started coming towards her. Thalia could've died but she put on a pleasant look and ambled over to meet him.

"Good morning." She said, trying to sound cheerful.

"Morning to you too, I'm glad you're awake." The man replied in a slightly accented voice.

"Oh?" she wondered, staring absently at the stacks of fresh towels.

"You were unconscious when Shizu brought you in, and this is my first time actually seeing you up and about." He folded his arms over his chest and gave her a smile that made her more uneasy than relieved.

Of course, it didn't help that his eyes seemed uncannily red. Or that he almost seemed to pick up on that thought, causing him to push back his thick black hair from his face so she could get a better look.

"All natural, darling." He said confidently, Thalia could only smile awkwardly. "I take it he's sent you out for food?"

"Yeah, uh, _Shizu_ doesn't feel up to it." She said carefully as he turned the cart around, and followed him to the elevator. "Um…you two know each other well then?"

The man glanced down at her and nodded, eyeing the elevator as another couple stepped out of it. They toddled over and the man kindly directed them to their room before guiding the cart into the elevator. As soon as the doors closed, he turned and held out his hand.

"In these parts, my name is Dren. If you guys get in any trouble, call me Erebus."

* * *

After picking up all the items on Snake Eyes's list, Dren offered to treat Thalia to lunch at the local diner. He sent Snake Eyes a quick text letting him know about the arrangement, and the ninja vaguely answered that he'd be over soon. In the meantime, Dren and Thalia took a seat by the window, sipping on water and lemonade respectively. Thalia felt so much better after finding out Dren and Snake Eyes were old friends, and after the waitress delivered their food she wanted to press him a little more. The diner was mostly empty save for a few elderly couples at the back of the establishment, she glanced at Dren.

"So…you guys worked at the same place?"

Dren raised an eyebrow. "That place? No, Japan was our playground. We had mutual acquaintances there and did odd jobs."

It was Thalia's turn to raise an eyebrow and she chewed on the end of her straw thoughtfully, wondering if Dren was also an Arashikage ninja but he didn't seem so. Shrugging, she pushed that thought aside – what did she know about ninja anyway?

"What about you? Can't say Shizu mentioned anyone fitting your…particular appearance?" he was smiling again in that weirdly off-putting way, it made Thalia think of a line in one of Shakespeare's plays: "Look like the innocent flower/ But be the serpent under't."

Thalia swallowed. "He got wasted one night and crashed at my place, I haven't been able to get rid of him since."

Dren's smile turned pitying and he scanned the road outside, frowning instantly. Thalia followed his gaze as the roar of several motorcycles rumbled past them; Dren abruptly slid out of his seat and hunkered down beside her, forcing her up near the window. The row of bikes rolled into the parking lot and a large group of tattooed, muscle-bound thugs strode into the diner. They started chatting up the head waitress with sick grins and judging by the sudden paleness of her skin, Thalia guessed these guys weren't friendly, let alone welcomed.

"Quit staring," Dren hissed, pinching her thigh. "Just keep eating."

"But who are they?" another waitress shuffled over and guided the men around three of the larger tables, watching muting as the pushed the table together.

"Devil Arms, small time thugs but they've been building up their crew in the last couple of months. This town is almost like HQ, they have full reign here and outsiders aren't exactly welcomed." He explained in a harsh whisper, placing an arm around her shoulder. He reiterated the need for her to remain as unnoticeable as possible, but with her new hairdo that was going to be very difficult. Dren promised they could escape out the backdoor quickly enough because he knew the owners well. The bikers ordered a round of beers, anyone who was finished their meal discreetly left the diner while the others tried shrinking into their seats.

Thalia was almost done her meal, and Dren just finished texting Snake Eyes when one man looked over in their direction. Thalia swallowed thickly and looked down, she couldn't catch what Dren did but whatever it was got the attention off. The next second, Dren's phone buzzed and in the great silence of the restaurant, it sounded like a fucking car alarm. Dren cursed and leaned back in his seat, putting on an air of confidence as one burly man came sauntering over.

"Afternoon," the biker said in a Southern drawl.

Dren tipped his head and Thalia offered a grimace.

"That's some lovely arm candy, D. What happened to the other one?"

Thalia didn't need to look up at Dren to see how angry he was. The arm around her shoulders clenched and shook, and the biker laughed.

"Look at me, forgetting something like that. I remember now, she died about two years ago right? Sweet thing, let's see if I remember her name…"

The door to the diner opened again, there was a quiet murmur in the air and Thalia pushed her plate away. She peered at Dren's phone as it buzzed again, reminding them of an unread text, and Thalia reached out for it. The biker grabbed onto her wrist.

"I don't think you want to do that, babe." She looked up at him and opened her mouth, biting down on her tongue when Dren pinched her leg again. The biker smiled and released Thalia's arm, Dren was stiff as a board as a loud _thump!_ drew the other man's attention. Standing in the midst of a pile of bodies, was Snake Eyes. Dren let out a tiny laugh and the biker turned to glare, the dark-haired man then lifted himself out of his seat and kicked both his feet into the biker's face. He moved aside so Thalia could get out and she jogged over towards Snake Eyes, Dren followed behind rather sheepishly and grinned.

"You know there's more of them, right?"

" _That's never stopped us before, one got away."_

"I'll get everyone out, what about her?" Dren looked over at Thalia.

"What? What did you do?"

Snake Eyes rolled his eyes as Dren disappeared into the kitchen, they could hear him yelling for everyone to get out.

" _Erebus and I have a history –"_

"He alluded to that."

Snake Eyes sighed and took Thalia's arm, leading her into the kitchen as Dren examined a few of the kitchen knives, he tossed one towards Snake Eyes as he tied back his hair. Snake Eyes gave his friend a tired look and pulled off his jacket, putting it around Thalia's shoulders and cracking his knuckles.

" _I owe Erebus a debt,"_ he signed vaguely. _"In return for a place to lie low, we're going to settle an old score."_

Thalia raised an eyebrow. "Won't this, I don't know, blow our cover?"

"These guys are relatively harmless, nothing like Cobra." Dren assured her. "Besides, the two of us are very good at disappearing."

Snake Eyes made another funny face before they locked down the building, leaving only the front door open. They shut off the lights and pulled the blinds over the windows. Thalia stayed hidden inside the kitchen, peering out of the small window at the vague shadows of Snake Eyes and Erebus. The codename became that much more poignant as Erebus was a son of the first god Chaos, in Greek mythology, and considered darkness incarnate.

Thalia sighed and stepped back from the window, crouching down under a sink and waiting. A muffled revving came from somewhere outside, a loud crash followed –

* * *

Snake Eyes knelt near one of the booths by the window as Erebus crouched behind the bar. The ninja knew how important this take down would be but still had his reservations; Erebus was skilled but volatile, especially when it came down to matters of the heart. Two years had passed since his young wife was gunned down by the Devil Arms gang, Snake Eyes learned later that she was also carrying their child at the time. He'd never properly met her as Erebus moved her around a fair bit to protect her from all the enemies he was _very_ good at making. Still, this was at least one chapter Erebus could close and Snake Eyes would see it done.

When the first biker crashed through the window, Snake Eyes knew Erebus had vaulted over the bar and sent a fist into the man's face. The biker collided hard into a table, dead before his body hit the ground. A second man came flying through the front door on a motorcycle, Snake Eyes surged out from his hiding place and drove the kitchen knife into the neck of the biker, twisting it around and pulling the man off the vehicle. Together, Erebus and Snake Eyes tossed the bikes outside, fading into the shadows as enemies poured into the darkened space. Whatever happened next was not spontaneous by any means, only instinct as the two men danced around their foes as silent as fog moving over water. Never a ripple, never a sound.

Snake Eyes ducked low under a blind punch and rammed his fist under the jaw of a biker, lashing out with his feet as two others tried to corner him. Erebus was a series of primal snarls, bucking off attackers and then dashing between them. Spurts of blood flew out in all directions, Snake Eyes wondered briefly why Erebus hadn't shared his weapons. In the few spots of sunlight within the diner, Snake Eyes could see bodies splayed out against tables, a pile slumped over in front of the bar and he went rigid as the door to the kitchen swung freely. He dropped the man he'd been choking and moved into the kitchen, grabbing a knife from the rack and throwing it into the back of a big man.

It didn't seem to puncture and the man turned around very slowly. Snake Eyes recognized this one as the leader of the Devil Arms, going by the name of Devin.

"I don't know you," Devin said slowly. "And I know that fucker in the front doesn't roll with anybody, so what's your deal? A hitman, maybe? Whatever he's paying you is shit, boy, and ain't worth what's gunna happen next."

Snake Eyes rolled his eyes, he knew someone was behind him and moments later, Devin likely wished to take back what he said as Erebus slid into the room and promptly killed the other guy.

"Alright, tough guy," Devin drawled. "What whore did I kill to get you so pissed off, eh? You gunna kill me now to make yourself feel better? You gunna torture me? I've heard it all. I admit you and the mute did a bang up job out there but I'm a different story."

"The bigger they are, the harder they fall," Erebus sneered and he lifted his hands up. Two coils of wire dangled off each hand, two spiked balls hung off each cord.

Snake Eyes frowned behind his mask.

" _Wait till we're out."_

"Check the fridge."

Snake Eyes nodded and left Erebus, moving over to the large fridge and peering inside. Thalia sat on a small container with a butcher's knife in her hands. She didn't appear afraid but she certainly wasn't coherent. He bent down and shook her lightly, exhaling when she grimaced up at him. He pulled the hood of his jacket over her head and led her out the kitchen, out the backdoor. Moments later, there was a loud scream.

* * *

"Sorry for all the damage, Bill." Dren said rather lamely, clasping his hands behind his back just as Snake Eyes passed him a wet towel.

"It's…It's OK. I think you've cut back a little, only one window is busted up and the chairs can be replaced."

"I'll help cleanup, really."

Snake Eyes watched Dren discreetly toss his soiled towel into the trash and lead Bill back into the diner. With Thalia teetering at his side, he looked up at her and gently pulled her onto one of the bikes beside him.

"What about the bodies?" she whispered.

" _Taken care of."_

"How, exactly?" Snake Eyes gave her look. "OK, maybe I don't want to know that."

Snake Eyes sighed, scanning the crowd of people gathered outside. They looked over at Snake Eyes curiously, murmuring behind their hands and the ninja rolled his shoulders.

"You weren't hurt?"

" _I'm fine."_

"You're certainly grumpy." Thalia got off her bike and slid in behind him, massaging his shoulders. A very quiet moan came from the man and she giggled, immediately getting up and walking back towards the motel. Snake Eyes rolled his eyes and started after her, tapping her shoulder and turning her around.

" _Weren't our groceries in there?"_

Thalia gasped. "I didn't even think about it, shit."

Snake Eyes merely laughed, like, actually laughed. Thalia raised an eyebrow as Dren exited the diner with containers of extra food. He held them up in the air and grinned like a little kid, eyes closed and teeth gleaming.

" _I think we'll be fine."_

* * *

 **Hello to my new readers :) and hello to the newest addition of the plot, Erebus/Dren.**

 **If you've read MustangLover97's Caged 2: Ghost Runner, this is the same character (I've also got two oneshots in regards to that fic). This version is younger than the one I let MustangLover97 use though, and his personality's a touch different for this story's purposes.**

 **And yes, Theresa is now Thalia James, in case some get confused.**

 **Here's hoping you enjoyed the chapter!**


	18. Chapter 16

**CHAPTER SIXTEEN:** **Almost Normal**

" _I'm Dren."_

" _That's a stupid name."_

" _Yeah, well, Snake Eyes ain't that spectacular either."_

 _Snake Eyes frowned at the presence of the black-haired boy sitting beside him, unafraid of showing his displeasure as the Hard Master hovered behind them. Snake Eyes was deep into his meditation exercises when he heard someone walk up and sit beside him. It hadn't been very bad at first but as Snake Eyes was seated in front of a quiet stream, the unfamiliar person started absently flicking water up into his face. The first time was annoying enough, fifty flicks later and Snake Eyes was inches away from strangling the stranger._

 _As if picking up that thought, Dren leaned over and nudged Snake Eyes's shoulder playfully as if he wasn't being the world's most obvious pest. The blond ninja clenched his fists and opened both eyes, turning very slowly towards Dren and rising to his feet; he took several deliberate steps away from the river and rolled his shoulders. Dren raised an eyebrow in mock surprise and stood up as well, carefully moving in front of Snake Eyes and cracking his knuckles._

" _Snake Eyes," the Hard Master warned, "he is not an enemy."_

 _The blond ninja curled his lips back into a sneer and shifted into an offensive stance, and Dren followed suit with an arrogant smirk on his face. Snake Eyes was aware his next actions would be considered foolish as ninja should be immune to even the smallest of annoyances, but he hadn't had a satisfying fight in a while – not since Tomi quit sparring with him._

 _Casting his gaze skyward, the Hard Master sighed deeply and backed up a few steps, sitting on a large stone amongst the impressive stone garden built outside the Arashikage compound. He retrieved a long pipe from within his robes, lit the end, and started smoking. Snake Eyes briskly unsheathed the swords from his back and crossing them in front of his chest, narrowing his eyes and exhaling slowly. Dren did not draw any weapons and merely held his hands loosely in front of his chest; there was no signs of any definable style being used and Snake Eyes raised an eyebrow, almost impressed but he immediately pushed the thought out of his mind._

" _Do not kill each other," the Hard Master said exasperatedly, as if scolding young children instead of seventeen year old shinobi._

" _Is "fatally injure" still an option?" questioned the weaponless boy._

" _You will be responsible for tending to your own wounds; if you happen to commit to such violence, you will have to suffer the consequences." The master replied cheerlessly, the smoke winding out of the pipe like a snake or wingless dragon._

 _Dren grinned at the Hard Master, opening his mouth for a retort just as Snake Eyes pitched himself forward and brought both swords down on his head. Dren danced backwards, dropping onto his hands and throwing his feet past Snake Eyes's defense and right into his face. The other boy reeled backwards, shaking his head clear and rubbing his jaw with a mildly surprised look on his face._

" _Sorry, should I have warned you first?" Dren teased, earning an unimpressed look from the Hard Master. Snake Eyes growled and regained his footing, throwing himself into an array of elegant strokes aimed at his attacker._

 _Evasion was easily Dren's forte along with being a professional nuisance, adding in mocking remarks as he twirled and ducked out of range; Snake Eyes guessed he was a dancer by the swiftness of his feet and preciseness of his movements, both being a mighty pain in the ninja's backside. The two teens continued their game of cat-and-mouse until Snake Eyes forced Dren up against the trunk of a large tree, sliding his swords in a "X" formation under his chin._

" _OK, so you're good," Dren grunted. "But we aren't done here."_

 _Snake Eyes cocked his head and hissed as Dren lifted one hand and blew black dust into his face. A foot flew into Snake Eyes's stomach and he lost his grip on his swords, gasping as he was lifted clean off his feet and tossed into the river. What an ass, Snake Eyes thought, his face breaking through the surface of the water as Dren put on another annoying smirk. More importantly, he'd been tossed a few feet into the river itself…_

 _Snake Eyes glowered up at Dren and sloshed angrily towards the shore, breaking into a run and tackling the other boy to the ground. He pulled out a knife from his belt and slammed it down into the dirt beside Dren's face, hoping it would scare him – but Dren only snorted at the attempt. Snake Eyes yanked the blade out of the grass and rammed it down again as Dren lifted his arms up as a shield. The knife burst through to the other side of Dren's arm, jumping up against his mouth and leaving a jagged scar through both of his lips._

" _And a hardy fuck you too, asshole." Dren grunted and smashed his head against Snake Eyes's forehead, kicking the other boy off and tumbling onto his side._

 _The knife was still lodged in his arm and he couldn't risk taking it out without gaining more damage, he spied one of Snake Eyes's discarded swords and ran for it. Wrapping his hand around the hilt, he swung around and blocked another attack from Snake Eyes, the blades squealing in process. They jumped backwards, readied themselves for another row, and dashed towards each other again only to fly backwards._

* * *

"-next thing I know, I'm waking up in bed with a massive headache and Shizu over here is telling me we've got to scrub the entire dojo down, twice. We didn't speak again for a week and by that time, I was calling him "Shizuka" because it means quiet." Dren said, spooning some lasagna into his mouth.

"Apparently, he took another dive in the river and boy, do I wish I was awake to see that."

Thalia tried imagining a younger Snake Eyes rocketing backwards into a river, muffling her laughter in a bottle of water and patting her roommate comfortingly. She and Dren each occupied a bed with Snake Eyes taking up the floor space between them. The diner's owner, Bill, had supplied them with food in return for dealing with the bikers and Dren had already sold several of the bikes for parts, raising some extra money for repairs.

Snake Eyes had his back up against the bed, one of Thalia's legs was tossed haphazardly over his shoulder. In any other setting, this whole night might've been normal, and Thalia could imagine several other instances from a long time ago where this same scenario had happened. She avoided thinking about it for too long, focusing on her limited vision of Snake Eyes. She could tell that he pulled the mask off and Dren was eyeing his old friend's face with veiled concern.

Both men were relatively unscathed save for some light bruising but Thalia felt a different energy in the air now that everything had settled down. Clearly it had been some time since they'd seen each other judging by the look on Dren's face.

"And your arm?" she wondered.

"Nothing fatal but I can't tell you how it healed, clan secrets and whatnot." Dren lifted up his arm and showed the thin white scar, leaning forward so Thalia could look at his face and the cut over his lips – now, his eyes weren't nearly so threatening.

"So…you're an Arashikage ninja then?" Thalia asked quietly, dropping her eyes to the still unresponsive Snake Eyes.

Dren stared at her, and though she couldn't see, gave Snake Eyes a kind of questioning look. Snake Eyes continued absently eating his soup, and Dren groaned before placing his container of food on the bed.

"No," he said firmly, causing Thalia to look up. "Never have been, never really was. I actively sought out the clan for extra training and once they taught me all they were allowed to, I left. I'm a mercenary now, I needed to learn different styles of combat if I intended to survive."

"Certainly an interesting job." Thalia said softly, taking another sip of water.

Dren shrugged and lifted his container, stirring the contents and finding nothing much else worth eating. He got up from the bed and grabbing the rest of the empty containers scattered around the room, he made a point and kicked Snake Eyes on his way into the kitchen. Snake Eyes pulled his mask back on and lightly tapped Thalia's leg, she groaned and flopped onto her side as the ninja stood up. He poked her side and blinked as she giggled and rolled off the one bed and back to the one she'd claimed as hers. Snake Eyes shuffled over after Dren as the other man was dumping dishes into the sink, casting a look back at Thalia as she rolled onto her stomach, he nudged Dren's shoulder.

" _What?"_ Snake Eyes signed quickly.

Dren offered him a flat look. _"You know what, Snake Eyes."_

Dren jerked his head back at Thalia as she lazily pulled off Snake Eyes's sweater and used it as a makeshift blanket. Snake Eyes turned and leaned against the sink, observing the cluster of burn marks starting at the base of Thalia's neck before disappearing beneath her shirt. Snake Eyes walked back towards the bed and gently placed his hand on her shoulder, listening to her steady breathing. He picked up the sweater and dropped it on the other bed, carefully turning her over and moving the blankets out from underneath her body. Once she was properly in bed, he pivoted and found Dren sitting on the other mattress with a blank look on his face.

" _She's not OK."_ Dren signed bluntly. _"Leave her here, I'll look after her."_

Snake Eyes bristled and grabbed Dren's shoulder, yanking him off the bed and dragging him outside the room. The two of them pushed angrily into Dren's private room where Snake Eyes gravitated towards one wall blanketed by mug shots and a spider web of news clippings stuck in a map. Snake Eyes gave Dren a pointed look and gestured to the wall.

" _Stay here with you? You must be joking."_

"Do you see any Cobra operatives here?" Dren growled.

" _The people you hunt down are still dangerous."_ Snake Eyes argued, tracing one red thread from the US to Australia, something started with a "Z".

"Oh, fuck you, Snake Eyes. At least I know who I'm hunting down, you have the entire US government on your ass and a criminal organization that has infiltrated the White House. Need I go into detail concerning all the Joes that have died in the past couple of days?"

Snake Eyes hissed and turned away sharply, clenching his fists and teeth. He looked over at the single bed within the room and the picture lying face down on it. He strode over and lifted the frame up, staring into the soft brown eyes of a woman with long brown hair and dimples. Two years later…had anything really changed for the better?

Dren gently took the picture back, staring at it for a while before placing it face down on the small bedside table. His hand lingered on the frame for a while before he looked over and grimaced.

"I'm fine. And she will be too, I swear."

" _I trust you…and I know she's not alright, but I want to be there when she's ready to talk."_

Dren shook his head and put his hands up in defeat, shuffling backwards towards the door.

"I just hope she's not as stubborn as you are, so my offer still stands."

" _I appreciate it and yes…she is very stubborn."_

"Well, you'll finally get a taste of your own medicine."

Dren tipped his head back to grin and found Snake Eyes right behind him, taking the whack to the back of his head with a resigned expression.

"Ass."

" _What you say is what you are, D."_

* * *

 ** _I'm finding that writing fluff is definitely one of my strong points..._**

 ** _And I'm just planting some seeds here for future chapters. You guys are almost caught up to me :)_**


	19. Chapter 17

**CHAPTER SEVENTEEN: Progress**

" _Please stop!" Tiny little legs crawled across my cheek, the lighted tip of the bug's abdomen glowed bright yellow – warning – and it slowly sunk into my skin. My skin was hissing at me, an aggravated scream left my lips as my body twitched. The Faceless Master had a foot on my stomach, the tip of his boot pushing against the knot secured over my ribcage. He cocked his head to one side, the room behind him swirled back and we were out in the forest._

 _A plane was stuck in the earth, its wings torn off, and low, consistent moan was coming from the cockpit. The fireflies hovering over me lifted up into the air, circling the debris and flying into the empty cockpit. But it wasn't empty anymore. A large shard of glass stuck out of one of Hideki's eyes, a firefly balanced on the pane and glowed. Hideki screamed, blood falling down his face and dripping onto Logan who was prone beneath him._

" _Stop it! Stop it!" He was dragging me towards the plane, I didn't want to go any closer but my legs couldn't move. They were twisted behind me, a dull ache moving along my bones. The fireflies spun around me, burning me again and again until I felt myself leave the ground. He held me up to Logan's face, our faces nearly touched and when he opened his mouth, a flurry of fireflies flew out. I was screaming, I was kicking my legs but they flopped uselessly behind me._

" _Just tell me where you are, Theresa. Just tell me and all of this will stop."_

" _Stop it! Stop it now!"_

 _Logan moaned and put his head against his chest, his skull cracking and opening, rivers of red paint cascaded out onto the ground and pooled around my knees. I just barely lifted my head, ignoring the army of legs moving along my spine, ducking under my ears. Snake Eyes was sitting in front of me on his knees as if he was mediating. He raised his head, his eyes all too blue and I saw a shadow move behind me. I couldn't speak even as Storm Shadow raised his sword high. Snake Eyes was saying something. I couldn't hear. I couldn't –_

* * *

There was a loud crack and a muffled groan, I writhed beneath the sheets and snapped my eyes open as Snake Eyes hovered over me, a hand over his nose. I stared stupidly at my bloodied fist and then gasped, putting both hands over my mouth.

"Sorry," I croaked, feeling tears stream down my face.

Snake Eyes just sighed and leaned away, bright light warmed my eyelids.

"Did I break it?" I wondered. I pulled myself into a sitting position and watched Snake Eyes adjust his mask, pawing at his nose and shrugging.

" _Nearly, I think you cracked your knuckles though."_ He turned back around. _"Are you going to punch me again?"_

"It wasn't on purpose." I defended childishly but I knew he was kidding. I wasn't the first person to have nightmares.

He grabbed a roll of bandages from the floor and held out his hand patiently, without looking at my face. I put my hand in his and flinched as he forced my knuckles back into place with his thumbs. It didn't really hurt, not after everything else, but my hand felt incredibly sore once he finished wrapping. I squinted in the sunlight and blinked in surprise as Snake Eyes migrated towards the windows and pulled the curtains shut, flicking the lamp on and returning to my bedside. He had a pensive look on his face, his eyes carefully flickering all over me and narrowing. He rubbed his mop of thick blond hair and shut his eyes.

"I'm fine," I said automatically. Snake Eyes glared and pushed himself onto the bed completely, capturing my ankles and pulling me closer towards him. I grabbed a lighter sheet and pulled it over my shoulders, shuddering as his warm breath breezing down the tip of my nose.

" _No, you're not,"_ He "corrected".

"It was just a nightmare."

" _You were crying out in your sleep. I've been trying to wake you up for the last six minutes."_ He paused, unsure. _"You were screaming for Logan."_

I shut my eyes and shivered, letting my head fall against his shoulder. He cast an arm out around my shoulders, using his other hand to support himself.

"The fireflies."

"Hm?" he mumbled in my ear.

"There were fireflies burning me, they kept…they kept coming out of them. He wouldn't stop."

Snake Eyes tensed. I saw his free hand curl into a fist on the bed and hiccupped, burrowing my forehead into the crook of his neck. He exhaled slowly, a controlling breath and mutely shook his head. He squeezed my shoulder and gently lifted me off him.

" _Thalia,"_ he wrote on my hand. _"I know him."_

My stomach did an uneasy flip and I covered my mouth with a whimper, letting Snake Eyes pull me back into his chest. What did that even mean "I know him"? Was it like knowing Storm Shadow, a trusted ally turn rogue? Or was it that he just picked up a lot of enemies in his line of work? I wanted to know more but I was getting comfortable…and warm. Over the last little while, I'd been leaning heavily on Snake Eyes and I felt like shit for doing so. There was more going on in the world than my problems, and Snake Eyes had lost friends. We didn't know if Duke and the others survived.

Absently, I wondered where Dren was. I wondered about the other people staying here, if they had dangerous pasts or ongoing missions. Absently, I thought about his sister Theresa.

"How did she die?"

Snake Eyes leaned back and took my shoulders. I forced myself to look up at him, hoping I wouldn't have to repeat myself. His eyes were sad and he nodded, understanding the question, but he got up regardless. There was a kettle on the stove and two cups with teabags inside them. I crawled backwards on the bed until I met the wall, pulling my knees up and waiting for the kettle's whistle. The T.V was on again but muted, the President was making some speech and I saw Snake Eyes's picture flash across the screen. So they didn't know where we were. That was good.

The ninja sat down beside me and put the cup in my hands, I stared sideways at him as he lifted his mask off his face. I saw the cut that cut over his mouth, the burn mark that took up half his face, a white scar over one of his eyes. He balanced the cup on his knee and raised his hands.

" _Car accident."_ I raised an eyebrow. _"Expecting something a little more dramatic?"_

"No! Fuck, no, geez. It's just…" I looked up at him quickly. "Terribly urban."

He gave me a look, not upset but slightly curious.

"It doesn't seem like the, uh, right fuel for the road to ninja."

" _Maybe not."_ He signed. _"But we were twins. I'd gone overseas expecting to return home to a celebration, not a funeral."_

"You still miss her, don't you?"

He nodded, leaning his head back and turning it slightly to look at me.

"Does it ever get easier?"

" _If you let it, yes. I've made close friends since her death, its takes the pain of missing her away. But it's always there, like a second heartbeat."_

His eyes dropped down for a moment and I wanted to reach out for him but I stopped myself. I fell back into his shoulder and took a small sip of the tea, the steam making my eyes water.

"I feel like it's my fault." I admitted to the brim of the cup. "Like, if I had been more persistent, they'd still be alive. I'd still be with them. And I know that's silly to think that but I've woken up so many times and thought I was home. Everything here is normal, even the fighting. Logan and I used to pick fights with the neighbourhood bullies because we thought we were so tough. Dad was a soldier and we thought that made us badass, didn't help that Hideki encouraged us too much."

" _You've never mentioned your parents."_

"I thought it would make transitioning more difficult but really, who else am I going to talk about this to?"

Snake Eyes nodded, pulling his mask over his nose and drinking.

"Dad wasn't in any major wars, mind you. Just "big disagreements". He was in Berlin and Syria, but we never knew why. He didn't talk about it."

" _And your mother?"_

"She fell hard for him, college sweethearts and whatnot. She wasn't quite the same after he died, he did a few tours in Afghanistan and then one day, boom, blown up."

" _I'm sorry."_

"So am I. Things got really rocky after that, what with Logan's marriage and we kept disagreeing about my future. I guess I didn't get enough time to grieve for Dad but…at least he died for something, you know? A good cause. Logan and Hideki…they shouldn't have died. At all."

Snake Eyes nodded, moving one of his hands around mine and squeezing reassuringly. I glanced up at him, catching the soft look in his eyes and flushing red too quickly, enough that he would notice. Snake Eyes returned his hand to his cup and I awkwardly touched my face, trying to push the colour out of my cheeks.

"When this is over, do you think I could visit their graves?"

" _Whatever happens, I will try to get you there."_

* * *

We all met up at the diner later that day, and Bill graciously said everything was on the house despite the fact that many of the chairs were still broken. Dren had been over most of the morning trying to fix them with whatever spare pieces of wood or cushion he could find. Small towns, especially the nameless ones on the map, did not attract tourists well. No one seemed to mind us either; my scars and blueberry hairdo, Dren's eyes, and Snake Eyes's clothing. We got a few smiles and a couple odd looks but nothing like the bikers from before, thank God. Turns out we made enough noise to scare off any other scum from moving in.

Dren sat across from us with a file under his hands and Snake Eyes went from casual to ninja in a second. He cast me an apologetic look as he slid the file over and steeled himself for the reaction.

"Our old friend's returned home. His cousin expects backup."

"At least she's alive," I mumbled and Snake Eyes nodded, opening the file. I leaned over and examined a map of Japan, a small section near the middle was circled in red.

" _Iga,"_ Snake Eyes signed, relief loosening his shoulders. _"We have friends there."_

"And he appears to be travelling alone in order to draw you out." Dren said with a sarcastic edge in his voice. He and Snake Eyes exchanged a look and the younger man sighed. "But hey, who am I to judge?"

"How soon will you leave?" I asked, moving the map over and frowning down at it. "It's a long flight –"

"Let me worry about the details. Snake Eyes?"

" _Tomorrow?"_

"…I can work something out. Pack up, and I call you." Dren spared a look in my direction. "And I'll look after her."

"Excuse me?"

A definite groan came from Snake Eyes and he turned towards me with an imploring look.

" _Let me handle this, please?"_

"You…you…Fine, see if I care!" I crossed my arms over my chest and with growl. Dren snorted and took to giggling quietly, flagging a waitress down.

" _Are you sure?"_

"What am I gonna do? Scream at him? Besides, I'll weigh you down, probably."

" _Sorry."_

"Don't apologize! I learned my lesson, he is all yours, Hayabusa."

Dren let out another snort and covered his mouth, standing up and walking away from the table with the waitress.

" _I expected you to be angry."_

"I _am._ What, do you need me to properly break your nose this time?" I raised my fist in silent challenge. Snake Eyes chuckled and pushed my hand under the table, his face coming to rest firmly on my head as his lips pressed into my hair.

* * *

He was gone when I woke up the following morning, and Dren's silhouette was waiting patiently outside the window. The sunlight here was unbearably bright, I half wondered if it would be possible to move somewhere colder when winter started to roll in. I didn't think it snowed in Arizona…if we were still _in_ Arizona, that is.

"Morning, sunshine." Dren said jovially after I locked the door behind me. "The Earth says "hello"."

"Somebody's in a cheerful mood," I mumbled with a yawn, flinching when he out an arm around me.

"Don't worry, you'll be just as happy soon enough." He said cryptically.

We stayed up on the second floor and headed towards a room above the office, and I stared at the parking lot in the hopes that the motorcycle was still here. A few cars were parked up in front, and Snake Eyes was definitely gone. Once inside, I noticed how an entire wall was covered with newspapers, networks of red thread joined articles together to make the world's most complex spider web. A sense of unease passed over me, despite the little shrine set up in one corner with the smell of lavender and jasmine permeating throughout the room. The windows were shut and blacked out, the only light came from really bright candles, ones that didn't induce headaches.

I shook my head and stared at Dren as he paused in front of an ornate closet. He looked awfully proud of himself as he stared at the doors and I yawned, folding my arms over my chest and raising an eyebrow.

"Unless you've somehow found a way into Narnia, this isn't very interesting."

Dren snorted and opened the doors where, oddly enough, there was nothing inside save for what looked like an elevator shaft. _Good vibes, Thalia, very good fucking vibes right now._

"Just get in, I'll be right behind you. We won't fit together." Dren said, gently pushing me forward.

"If this kills me, I am haunting your ass till the End Days." He laughed and prodded my back until I got in, awkwardly leaning against the back as he closed the doors.

I watched the top of the doors, almost expecting his fist to punch through as the elevator chugged deeper and deeper down the shaft. When the doors opened again, I stepped out into a wide open room reminiscent of Snake Eyes's dojo back at the base; numerous weapons hung off the walls, and a few tables were set up with other instruments of violence. By chance, I glanced behind me and nearly jumped out of my skin as Dren hovered over my shoulder.

"Impressive, right?" he asked with childish glee.

"What am I doing here?"

"Snake Eyes mentioned you were interested in some self-defense training so…" he gestured grandly at the menagerie of weapons.

I faced the tables because they were the closest and the swords up on the walls seemed more for show than anything else. I grabbed a katana off the table and carefully pulled it out of its sheath, moving the blade through the air as Dren watched. It was too light, but well balanced; if I came up against anything heavier there was no way the blade would keep its form. And swords meant getting in close and finding gaps in armour, slicing through arteries and veins. I put it back after a moment and Dren put a long staff in my hands, one end had a short blade attached to it.

"Swords are good weapons but meant for skilled hands," he said gently. "And hopefully, you won't have to fight very often, if at all. The naginata, on the other hand, is a good offensive and defensive weapon."

He cupped the blunt end of the naginata as his other hand paused just before the blade.

" _Here_ is your defense. This is made of petrified wood, practically unbreakable, unless someone comes up against you with a diamond wet saw and has a lot of time on their hands. I know it's a little heavy but with time, you shouldn't feel it."

Dren glided behind me and adjusted my grip on the staff, pointing the blade forward and gently bending my knees. He shifted my hips forward and stepped back, grabbing the underside of the blade and shifting it up towards his throat. He pushed the tip of the blade against the base of his neck.

"Tempered steel, folded over twenty times. Incredibly durable. It can be used for hacking and slashing as much as thrusting, or it could crack bones if you use the straight edge. Now, let's begin."

"How exactly?" I asked, thankful that he moved away from the pointed edge and grabbed a sword for himself. He slid in beside me, mirrored my stance and exhaled slowly.

"We will practice basic moves for three hours," he gave me firm look that silenced any sort of disagreement. "After you've mastered those, I may consider actually sparring with you."

* * *

 **I hope everyone's holidays are going over well; would've updated sooner but with Christmas and my birthday, I wanted to spend more time with my family.**

 **That said, I hope this chapter was satisfying in some capacity :)**


	20. Chapter 18

**CHAPTER EIGHTEEN: Siege on the Seas**

 _Ana got up from the floor and slumped into her bed chained to the wall, gathering up her dark hair and pinning it up on her head. Duke rose and gave her a quick smile, turning his head as Scarlet approached._

" _We need a word," she said to Ana and pulled Duke down the hall. Once out of earshot, she turned to him. "Snake Eyes succeeded in his mission."_

" _That's great, how is she?"_

" _From what Snake Eyes has bothered to tell me, she's in shock. She's lashed out at him a few times…"_

" _Where is she?"_

" _Back at base, the story is that she's the General's niece."_

" _That happens a lot, doesn't it?" Duke said, eyeing Scarlet carefully. "What are our orders?"_

" _Stay here, we're expecting something to happen any time now."_

As Scarlet finished speaking, a loud boom hit a spot on the lower deck, disrupting the ship's equilibrium and sending everyone tipping over to one side. The alarm was screaming down every hallway as several, smaller booms smashed into the ship again, tipping the boat in the opposite direction. Duke and Scarlet slid along the floor and crashed into one of the walls, Duke's chest collided with the metal first and then Scarlet's chin smashed awkwardly against one of his shoulder blades. The two of them climbed back to their feet where Duke cast a look in the direction of Ana's cell and gave his companion a pleading look.

"Fine," she said shortly. "Go and get her. I'll find the others."

"I'll meet you topside," he gave her a swift nod and took off running. One of the walls blew open and Duke had seconds to duck under a volley of gunfire, sliding under the debris and glancing outside. At least three helicopters hovered in the sky, a dark green cobra head was painted on either side of hull along with the wings. A tad tacky at best, fucking annoying at worst. Duke rolled to his feet and smashed into the bars of the cells as a small missile collided into the ship, the blast of heat carrying him forward as the floor opened up behind him. A volley of voices echoed behind him, several heavily armed men swung into the many openings within the ship and started shooting.

As the ship rocked back and forth with each attack, Duke crawled along the bars until he reached Ana's cell and the two marines guarding it. Another shell piercing the hull and Duke explained the situation as he knew it, trying to keep a level head. He also demanded the keys to Ana's cell, he wasn't going to leave her behind and if they had any objections, they could certainly try and stop him. The two marines shared a look, grimaced, and reluctantly allowed Ana out – she dipped into a dramatic bow and blew kisses before another tremor sent her careening into Duke's chest.

"We're under attack," he shouted over her head.

"Hadn't noticed." Ana replied dryly, wrapping a hand around the heavy collar around her throat to keep it from jumping around too much. The four of them started running down a hallway, pausing as the sound of harsh voices ordered a strike in the one of the rooms. Ana spared a look at the marines and smiled as innocently as she could, not even wincing at the gunfire.

"Sorry ma'am, we don't have the key." One of them said gruffly, he moved out from behind the wall and tossed a grenade but reacted too slow as hail of bullets pierced his chest. Duke cursed, ordering them backwards and down another hall of rooms, all destroyed and full of bullet-ridden bodies.

"We need backup," Ana hissed, reaching for one of Duke's pistols and turning around. She shot three men down, cursing as a bullet sliced through her shoulder.

"If we reach the tower, we should be able to call for assistance." The marine said, pausing in the middle of the hallway. "I'll cover you, go!"

Duke set his mouth into a frown, caught between wanting to take the man with them or leave him behind. The marine had a grim look in his eyes and gave a two-finger salute, dashing down the hall and tackling a group of soldiers. Ana tugged on her lover's arm, dragging him up a flight of stairs just as before the ship teetered left, the duo went sliding down another hallway and nearly flew out a hole.

"How the hell did they find us?" Duke roared angrily, yanking a metal pipe from the wall and holding it in front of him. He passed his other gun to Ana and the two of them pressed their backs together, meandering down corridors and rooms on full alert.

"Don't look at me." Ana said, firing a shot into a room. "Where are we going?"

"That stairwell." A line of Cobra soldiers stood there, waiting.

"Well then, let's go."

Duke nodded briskly and charged down the corridor, swinging the pipe and at least trying to mimic Snake Eyes's swordplay. Sure, he'd wrestled the ninja into submission on his first day but he never quite mastered the whole sword thing. At least he did better than Ripcord, who not only managed to shatter his training sword but nearly took off a couple fingers as well. Almost as good a shot as Scarlet, Ana was pulling off headshots as if she was born for it – Duke wondered for a second if the nanomites had anything to do with her calm demeanor but chose to ignore that for the time being. They smashed through the squad of soldiers and ran up the stairs, slipping down the galley hall as the ship lurched forward. They fell solidly onto their knees, riding the momentum into the games rooms and picking off enemies like one of those shoot'em up games at the arcade.

As the groups of Cobra troops became more and more frequent, Duke passed the pipe to Ana who still retained a lot of Storm Shadow's lessons, and though she was hindered by the weight of the collar, she was nimble and flexible enough to dodge. A few of troops seemed to even recognize her, they were hesitant to strike and unlikely to cause any real harm. Ana was content enough to knock them out if it meant leaving faster.

Exiting onto the flight deck, however, was fruitless. Most of the planes had been shot to pieces and Duke couldn't see where Scarlet or any of the other survivors. Reminded of the marine from earlier, he instead looked to the command centre and the two of them quickly sprinted up the stairs. The crew had been murdered and the main console was on fire, Ana pushed her fingers between the collar and her skin with a groan. A dark band of purple-black bruises was starting to form.

"So much for getting help." she muttered.

"We have to go down, they might've gone to the submarine." Ana groaned again and Duke took her shoulders. "Trust me, OK?"

"I trust you," she said breathlessly. "It's everyone else I don't trust."

Duke pushed his forehead against hers, inhaled the scent of her skin before they dove back into the ship. Everything was starting to creek at this point, the lower bits of the hull hadn't been blown to shit yet and looking out the holes found that a few sailors and soldiers had found their way into the water on easily identifiable orange rafts. Cobra was focused more on the people than the actual ship which worked out well for those inside, but those on the outside would still battle weather conditions and lack of supplies.

They rushed through the empty kitchen area just as something big and bright barrelled into Duke's side. The two of them skated along the floor and Ana screamed Duke's name, the figure rose and looked up at her.

"Why is it always him?!"

"Destro?" Duke coughed as the hulking, silver-coated man veered around and punched the air where his head once was.

Duke staggered backwards and ducked under another punch, gasping as Destro tackled him into the wall. The man's entire head was coated in metal, preserving his gaunt cheeks and deep-set eyes which were all one colour. He could see Ana aiming the gun at them but she hadn't committed to pulling the trigger, shooting Destro in the head might cause the bullet to ricochet. Duke turned his attention back to the maniac as Destro pulled his head away, Duke squirmed out of his grip as Destro slammed his face into the wall.

"Pipe!" the Joe shouted, catching the metal stick and ramming into Destro's back. The bigger man shouted angrily, Duke ducked under a blind grab and swung the pipe into the back of Destro's head. A loud wail erupted from his head and he collapsed with a heavy thud. He gazed up at Ana and vainly crawled towards her even as she backed away, the guns shaking in her hands.

"I could've given you everything!" He howled. "Cars, mansions, money, beauty, power. We could've ruled this world together, under Cobra!"

"And therein lies the problem," she retorted, the bit of sass stopping the tremors.

Duke jumped onto Destro's back and pulled his arms behind him, clumsily slipping his wrists into handcuffs and smashing the pipe into his head again. A dull ring came off Destro's head like an old church bell and the man slumped into the ground with a flat note.

"Do we take him with us for questioning?" Ana wondered, tapping his head with her boot.

"I have all the answers I need right now." Duke grumbled, herding Ana away. "I don't know how long he's going to stay down and I don't want to be here when he wakes up."

"Right, right."

The two of them climbed down some stairs and both let out sighs of relief as Scarlet ordered the remaining personnel onto a small submarine. She spotted the two of them and nodded swiftly, but her face quickly melted into panic as an inhuman roar echoed in the chamber. Duke pushed Ana forward, pleading with to "get to the damn sub" as he whipped around and tried to halt Destro's movement. His feet slid along the floor and Scarlet unclipped the small crossbow from her hip, releasing an explosive arrow that soared right into Destro's shiny head. Duke swore as it bounced backward with a shrill _ting!_ And he watched it fly –

Destro screamed.

He blindly barrelled into Duke, sending the smaller man flying backwards as he caught Ana in his arms. The arrow had burrowed deep into her back. If one had to guess, the tip had rebounded off her ribcage and stabbed through one of her lungs, disengaging the timer on the tip. Duke forced himself into a sitting position, his eyes growing wide at the sight of Ana's lifeless body clutched to Destro's chest.

"Get your hands off her," Duke murmured. He staggered to his feet, brandishing the pipe and moving closer to the sobbing Destro. "I said, get your hands off her."

"Duke!"

The Joe brought the pipe down on Destro's head, repeatedly. He did not stop until there was a noticeable dent. He did not stop until Destro released his death grip on Ana's body. It was Scarlet pulling him away from them both that snapped him out of it, the room was starting to fill with water.

"I am not leaving her!" he shrieked. He jerked away and ran for Ana's body, arranging her limbs into his arms and lifting her off the ground. Scarlet shook her head, trying to block his way into the submarine.

"We have no place for her."

"I don't care! I'm not leaving her with him."

Destro was still sobbing, gasping as the water moved over his face and down his throat. He refused to move or maybe he couldn't perceive the danger of drowning anymore.

"Duke! We can't bring her – "

"Listen to me! She's coming with us." He practically snarled, shoving his shoulder against Scarlet's and disappearing into the submarine. Scarlet let out a breath and shook her head, quickly following him as the craft sunk into the water.

* * *

 **Can't forget about the rest of the crew.**

 **Happy New Year folks, today's gonna be a double upload - one now and another chapter later tonight.**

 **Here's hoping 2016 isn't complete shit.**


	21. Chapter 19

**CHAPTER NINETEEN: Scarlet's Log- Loss and Ghost Stories**

 _It's been a few days since the attack, we're drifting in the Pacific Ocean in one of the smaller submarines. Found more dissenters among us, locked them in the brig. Most are recent recruits to the program, all former US citizens and army personnel. Don't know who sent the kill order, don't know who else survived._

 _Duke stored Ana's body in one of the fridges, he's been camped there since we left. Ripcord's having a hard time speaking with him, must ask his relationship with Ana._

* * *

 _Running low on food and supplies, I can only enjoy shooting down seagulls for so long. A few men jumped ship when we breached the surface, couldn't rescue them all. A bunch of us have been getting sick, probably the seagulls. Been throwing up all morning, Ripcord too. Everything down here stinks. Duke hasn't been eating anything. We'll try fishing for food later. Hopefully making a stop in Hawaii for supplies, letting people off as well. Don't know if they're quitting or simply going into hiding._

 _I'm going to throw up again._

* * *

 _In Hawaii. Got a rogue transmission ordering us to Australia, sender goes by "Sea Witch"._

 _Dropped off a dozen or so Joes, undecided if they'll join up again if we rebuild. Nothing from General Hawk._

 _Got more supplies, force fed Duke this morning. Planning on locking him in the brig soon._

 _Heavy Duty's in charge of our prisoners, they are gone now as well._

* * *

 _Stopping in Colombia soon for more supplies and more people want out. Wish I had the option but I need to know what's happening with the others. Breaker picked up coded message (Roadblock?), something about a safe house in D.C. Definitely not worth it now. Something's up with the Commander and Chief, Breaker's investigating leads._

* * *

 _Drifting in the South Atlantic, someone's been tailing us. Can't say who but they're an enemy now regardless. On radio silence, swimming blind. Duke's been yelling in his sleep, caught him opening the fridge last night. I wish I'd gone with Snake Eyes, at least then I wouldn't have killed Ana._

 _Ripcord's been hanging out in my cabin much to my chagrin and he keeps reading over my shoulder. And he needs to stop before I punch him in the throat._

…

 _It was a US sub. They were looking for us. Used up a lot of power for the cloaking device, lost several systems in the process. I don't think we can paddle this sucker to Australia._

* * *

 _Transferring power to rudder and steering, gave up lights and most other appliances. The corpse in the fridge needs to go but Duke's guarding it like some rabid dog. Ripcord can't get through to him, we think he's going mad. Will hopefully get Heavy Duty to lock him in his cabin._

…

 _Minor incident today. Found a bunch of assholes trying to sabotage the system, we shot them out of the torpedo chute. I almost feel better about it but still…What has been gained by scattering us? Breaker managed to get a TV signal and we now know the President ordered our termination. General Hawk's been labelled a traitor, there's a bounty on his head but no one can find him. There's a hit on Snake Eyes…_

 _No one knows how many of us survived and the government's attempted to publish our information on the Internet. Amazingly, Anonymous has been stopping that from happening by crashing government websites. Breaker seems awfully pleased with himself._

 _Oh, Fox News has labelled Joe survivors as "terrorists". We laughed for a good thirty minutes. Felt nice._

* * *

 _Landed on African continent, took what we could carry and headed inland. Duke's in slightly better spirits but we need a coffin and fast because he's been carrying her around in a bag. I feel sick just looking at it. Transmission from Sea Witch, wants us in Kenya for pickup, providing transport for us to India. Don't know who yet._

…

 _Met up with one of the "Abernathy Angels" as Ripcord is officially terming them._ _Note_ _: Explain that later for journaling's sake._

 _Operative is named Whisper, doesn't work in the field much due to disagreement with Hawk._ _NOTE:_ _Apparently an illegitimate child of Cobra Commander, animal trainer. Strange seeing her without her dogs, looks like she took a hit. Came with a huge jet with a shit ton of animals on board. I believe Ripcord's verbal ticks on wearing off on me._

 _Smell isn't that bad._

…

 _NOTES:_

 _-Abernathy's Angels: General Hawk has been sponsoring certain persons for a number of years, helping them accomplish certain goals in return for their services. Play on "Charlie's Angels" (never saw the TV show or that disaster of a movie). Origin, Ripcord, though I'm sure he's not the only one to think it up._

 _-Whisper: One of Abernathy's Angels. Trains exotic and domestic animals for combat, espionage, assassinations, and the like. Also works with trauma dogs, will be very useful for Duke. Former sniper but due to an accident, now works in close-combat. Doesn't have a good relationship with Hawk, he doesn't call her to do much because of undisclosed reasons._

* * *

 _Spent Halloween in India, more Joes left us. Can't say I blame them._

 _Whisper knows about Ana, says it's agitating the animals. Duke and her had a small fight which resulted in noticeable bruises and some small scars. For someone who's partially blind, Whisper has one hell of a punch._

…

 _We're hiding out in an abandoned industrial building but I think everyone in the city is aware of us. We'll be leaving as soon as Sea Witch sends transport._

 _I've decided that I thoroughly dislike flying._

* * *

 _Finally in Australia!_

 _Escorted to the hidden village run by "Jungle Cat", acquaintance of Whisper. Very large man but also very kind, still wouldn't want to get in a fight with him. Met with the Sea Witch who is Sedna, another of Abernathy's Angels. Not much known about her, might ask if she's in a good mood._

 _No one can ignore Ana now, a funeral will be held later tonight and her body will be burnt. Duke was completely unhinged and nearly clawed out Jungle's Cat's eyes. Sedna intervened and knocked him out. We'll have a few days rest before a plan is concocted, this has General Hawk written all over it. He is in hiding but only to protect his family._

…

 _Duke's inconsolable. I feel like shit…again._

* * *

 _Been a few days since the burning, Duke's gone into a sort of catatonic state. Sedna is for some reason insulted by his demeanor and the two of them have been at each other's throats. I feel like she's fighting him on purpose, he hasn't been very active unless Sedna picks a fight with him._

 _Ripcord and I are sharing a tent…He's not leaning over my shoulder but very much enjoys laying on my stomach. He's warm so I'll allow it. Worried about Snake Eyes, haven't heard anything from him and Breaker has been trying since we landed. Roadblock's team just arrived...all of three of them._

* * *

Scarlet closed the leather bound journal and shoved it under her pillow, affording Ripcord a short glance before leaving the tent. Roadblock was warming himself by the fire as his other two teammates took a trip to the watering hole to wash up. If it was even possible, he was even taller than Heavy Duty and twice as broad. Scarlet hadn't gone on too many missions with Roadblock but he and Duke had struck up a strong friendship since he joined up. He looked up at Scarlet's arrival and waved, she then noticed the small pouch between his feet. Catching her gaze, Roadblock opened the pouch and stuck his hand inside, pulling out a handful of bloodied dog tags.

"Couldn't just leave them behind," Roadblock said thickly. "I'll find a way to send them back to their families when this ends."

"Won't be easy," Scarlet conceded, taking a seat next to him. "Seen Duke yet?"

"Plan on it once Jaye and Flint get back. Jaye's been pretty tough through this whole thing but I know it's eating Flint up inside that we couldn't do more. How are you?"

Scarlet opened her mouth tentatively then shut it. She'd taught herself emotional control ever since losing her father and ever since Snake Eyes took her on as an apprentice. It wasn't as if she viewed emotions as wrong but in her experience, they hampered her ability to think straight. Duke became the Alpha Team's leader through his connection to Cobra Commander and had proven himself as a level-headed and dedicated leader…but this entire ordeal had cracked open a very big weak point. Scarlet knew Duke planned on marrying Ana once she was clean, and Cobra definitely knew given the absolute massacre on the ship.

And Duke's fragile mental state forced Scarlet into the leader role which would've been fine under completely different circumstances. She felt _tired_. Looking after everyone was nothing new but…the kind of mental trauma was not…she didn't…

"Could be better." She admitted finally. "Could be better."

"We've never been hit like this before."

"Yeah."

Scarlet looked at the other tent where Duke had isolated himself from the group, she couldn't quite hear him but she knew he had been sleeping for most of the day. If there was a plan, she sorely hoped he wouldn't be part of it. Turning her attention back to Roadblock, Scarlet peered at a vague shape melted out of the shadows and heading towards. Roadblock followed Scarlet's gaze and stood up, reaching out his hand and clasping the bicep of a tall woman.

"Sedna," he intoned with a low, surprised voice. "It's been awhile."

"I remember you being shorter…far shorter." She whispered in a husky voice, her icy blue eyes coolly appraising him. "Your team's just finished up. A couple of the elders are with them, you should go too."

Sedna's eyes flickered towards Scarlet as she spoke, her order was clearly directed at Roadblock. Sighing, he nodded and she patted his arm, coming down and taking his place around the fire. Her fingers and all the way up to her elbows were wrapped in coarse bandages marred with dirt and dried blood. A long hunting knife was strapped to her side, and her face was decorated with two red marking that started under her eyes and dripped down her cheeks. Her darkened skin was flecked with white scars, and her long dark hair was streaked with silver.

Scarlet shifted away as discreetly as possible when Sedna turned and stared at her, those piercing eyes glowing strangely in the firelight.

"Cold?" she questioned in that low, rasping tone.

Scarlet shivered involuntarily.

Sedna rose from her log and strode into the tent where Ripcord was sleeping, and returned with a soft blanket. She dropped it onto Scarlet's shoulders and sat back down, pulling out a canteen of water and splashing its contents over her face. Scarlet raised an eyebrow curiously.

"On custom, not Inuit necessarily. Jungle Cat started it, painting the trails of tears on our faces to express our grief without showing it. It's a choice, not an order."

"So, you're Sedna then?"

The woman smiled savagely and Scarlet thought of an old greying wolf prowling the frozen tundra's of Northern Canada, and shivered again.

"Hmm." She answered, gazing into the fire.

"General Hawk sent you?"

"Yes. He's taking care of his own, leaving the rest to his nieces."

"No nephews?" Scarlet wondered coyly, smiling only when Sedna did.

"Oh, they're around. They're not planners or speaker though, not that I am either. Whisper's still bitter about the past."

Scarlet was tempted to ask about that but judging from the brief look of condemnation that warped Sedna's face, she held her tongue. Sedna stretched out in front of fire, her sharp eyes flickering towards Duke's tent as he moaned a name in his sleep.

"Tell me he's not involved."

Sedna raised an eyebrow, slowly turning her head away.

"He going to be. Everyone carries dead people but they can't carry them forever."

"Dead people?" Scarlet murmured and the fire sparked dangerously, a cool wind blew across the deserted, rough terrain of Australia's Outback. Jungle Cat's village was brilliantly set within a large crater, anyone looking straight over the landscape couldn't see it unless they walked all the wall to the sloped entrance; of course, they'd also have to be willing to face a hundred or so spears.

"Yurei, banshee, dybbuks, ghosts. We all carry the spirts of those we've lost and those we've kill, do we not?" Sedna angled her entire body in looking at Scarlet. "I'm aware of that woman's death."

Scarlet kept her mouth shut and Sedna kept talking, looking up at the sky.

"I mean, I've been carrying my father with me for ages and I still can't get rid of him."

"You were that close?" Scarlet flinched as the other woman let out a laugh.

"No, I killed the bastard a few years ago. He still won't leave me alone." Her face was oddly soft for a moment, perhaps expressing fondness for his dedication but it was gone a moment later.

Behind them, Duke let out an ear-splitting scream and Scarlet turned as Ripcord bolted out of the tent. Sedna was on her feet and glided pass Ripcord into the tent, the two of them watched and listened intently as Sedna spoke quietly to their friend.

"I should've saved you…"

"Sleep soldier boy, sleep…"

Duke mumbled something else but they couldn't hear. Ripcord, still plagued by sleep, offered Scarlet a lazy wave before returning into the folds of the tent, falling spectacularly onto the ground with a muffled snore. Scarlet sunk lower on to the ground, her back awkwardly propped against the log. The fire sparked again and Sedna drifted towards it with more wood, tossing them in all at once and sitting down again.

"Guess everyone has daddy issues then; Whisper, you…"

"Do you know the history behind the name "Sedna"?" _Stop changing the subject._

"Vaguely, she created all the sea creatures." Scarlet sighed, her eyes growing heavy as Sedna started speaking again.

"Legend says Sedna was a beautiful Inuit woman, so beautiful she had suitors coming to her home every other day, but she refused them. Her father, fed up with her attitude, prayed for someone to marry his stubborn daughter. The Crow heard the father's prayer and presented himself. Now, whether he was driven to hand over his daughter by fear or greed (because sometimes the Crow had mountains of gold on his little island), depends on who's telling the story."

"Regardless, the father took Sedna out on his canoe and over to the Crow's island. Receiving his payment, the father hurried back to shore but not before Sedna found out the plan. She left her husband and swam out after her father, grabbing the sides of the boat. Again, either the boat was filled with treasure or he was afraid, the father struck off his daughter's fingers and left her to drown. The Crow then sought revenge for the loss of his bride and killed the father."

"Lovely story, what's the point?" Scarlet muttered and Sedna smirked.

"My father was not in my life for a long time and my mother grieved for him as if he died. I would learn he worked for a certain man of power, and I hunted him down and killed him without remorse. Yet he lingers over my shoulder."

For half a second, Scarlet _could_ see the shape of a man with striking bright blue eyes lurking behind Sedna. Scarlet yawned, shaking the fog out of her head as she leaned back and stared up at the stars glittering in the inky blackness above her head.

"You fully accept your actions, so even though the ghost persists, you're strong enough to look past it."

"Exactly, and that's something both you and soldier boy need to do: get over it. There will be time to cry over your mistakes but right now, your minds _need_ to be clear."

* * *

 _-Sedna: One of Abernathy's Angels. Unhealthy relationship with father. Skills include monologuing despite her self-proclaimed lack of speaking prowess. Likely a strong hand-to-hand fighter. Intense. Relationship with Hawk presumed better than Whisper's. Not a team player. I will probably value her talk when I'm not overly tired. Or seeing ghosts._

 _This village is definitely messing with my head, have to ask Jungle Cat if this village is built over Nasca Lines or something._

* * *

 ** _Alternate chapter title would've been "Linebreaks Galore" but I wasn't feeling that cheeky :)_**

 ** _So now you guys are mostly caught up to me, I'm working on Chapter Twenty-Four and in the process of plotting a sequel, so yay!_**

 ** _Whisper is of course MustangLover97's character, and you'll be seeing and hearing more from her in the next chapter!_**


	22. Chapter 20

**CHAPTER TWENTY: The Abernathy's Angels Official Rollcall**

 _ **NIGHTSHADE**_

"You're being awfully quiet, Sea Witch."

"I'm thinking." Sedna said scathingly, glaring sideways at Jungle Cat.

"What is on your mind, your mood is putting everyone else on edge."

Sedna exhaled slowly through her nose and straightened up, folding her arms over her chest and narrowing her eyes. Duke's mind was in turmoil, the funeral hadn't helped ease his sorrow and Sedna was at her wits end; she'd found him begging Jungle Cat for a witch doctor and came a little too close to giving him a concussion.

Sedna had called this village home for a few years now after accomplishing her revenge, and Jungle Cat had been an ever patient father figure despite her cold demeanour and temper; she owed him plenty and he'd done so much for the Joes amassing in Australia. Not many had been allowed into the village, but most were camped out nearby awaiting orders.

Sedna growled as Jungle Cat's heavy hand came down on her head with an amused chuckle, using her body as leverage as he stood up.

"I can hear the roar of a Nightstar jet, I shall go and wake your companions."

"Better late than never, I guess." Sedna rose up and eyed Jungle Cat's back. "And I don't appreciate the coddling, old man."

"I didn't see you protesting." He answered good-naturedly, tipping his head back to smile at her.

Sedna glared at his back for a moment longer before heading out beyond the village's border, eyeing the sleek black jet hovering over the earth. It landed silently, waves of dust rolling away from the belly of the plane as the lower deck opened up. A short woman with reddish brown hair stepped off and grinned at Sedna's unimpressed expression.

"You're late, Nightshade." She said coolly.

"And you're early, as always." Nightshade smirked. "Missed me?"

"Barely. What have you got?"

"How much time do you have?"

* * *

 _Every outsider fell in love with Snake Eyes when he bothered to show himself outside the Arashikage compound. The main compound was located near a small village acutely aware of the ninja threat near them, but the ninja presented themselves very respectfully and Snake Eyes was no slouch in the politeness department._

 _But Snake Eyes was at least an attainable goal instead of a lofty ambition, but Karin liked a challenge. The clan heir, Tomisaburo Arashikage was a stick in the mud, always reserved and always perfect. He followed the rules like an obedient dog but Karin wanted the uncontrollable storm – not in a romantic way, ew, no. Karin was eight, she just wanted the ten year old to loosen up a little bit._

 _So she stuck a crab in his bed. Then filled his pillow with wet grass. Culminating in a spectacular trap that had him dangling over the pond behind the dojo. She didn't escape punishment for that though, scrubbing down the dojo was not fun but the startled look on Tomi's face was so worth it._

 _And then one night, after they'd snuck out to spar, everything changed. The Arashikage kept out of all clan disputes and the one brewing between Iga and Koga was legendary. In hindsight, Tomi had likely been the target of the kidnapping instead of her but whoever was sent fumbled miserably. Karin would wake up days later in an even older compound in the midst of a council of greying old men and a sparse patch of young men and women a few years older than she, all clad in red._

 _They claimed honest mistake but offered to build her up so strong that she'd gain the admiration of all those whom she desired. At eight, she just wanted to go home because her father would worry. Later that same night, one of girls would whisper about the assassination she was sent on, "His name was Night-something. Went down like a sag of potatoes"._

 _So there was her challenge. She'd wait for the right moment to get the hell out of there and go back home. So she trained, she did whatever those old farts told her to until they were too slow to catch up to her. It took seven fucking years to get out of that hellhole, crossing the Pacific Ocean on a fishing boat, taking over a pirate ship, before swimming through the frigid waters off Canada's Western coast. Going straight to the Arashikage would be obvious, and she was hardly obvious anymore. So she stumbled, half dead, through the northern wilderness until another girl with emerald green eyes dragged her into a cabin built in the middle of nowhere._

" _Logan!" she screamed, bursting through the open door with Karin slung awkwardly over her back. "Logan!"_

" _What, I heard you the first time –what the hell?!"_

 _Karin was this close to splitting a seam as she started laughing, the man's hair was dusted with pink glitter._

" _Get her on the table," spoke a calmer voice from the staircase, tying his ebony hair back and examining the cuts on Karin's feet._

" _Is she going to be OK, Hideki?" the girl asked, slightly repulsed but equally concerned. She held Karin's hand as Hideki carefully pulled Karin into a sitting position, his fingers flicking along the scars from the lashings. The look on his face seemed vaguely familiar, kind of like how Tomi looked after the Hard Master struck her the first time for her disobedience. In an instant, she knew he'd seen wounds like hers._

" _I think so. Theresa, please go upstairs and get her a spare set of clothes, she's about your size."_

" _Got it!"_

 _Karin watched Theresa run upstairs, then peered back at Logan as he shook the glitter out of his hair. He and Hideki shared a look and both helped Karin back onto her feet and into a small bathroom._

" _Clean up, we'll get food for you ready."_

 _She ended up staying with them for a month until Hideki was willing to let her go. She decided he was a lot like Tomi if he didn't have a stick up his ass. She wondered if he changed at all in her absence._

 _But there were things that needed her attention even before the challenge of Tomi, namely her father's company and affairs. One day, she'd get back at those who had murdered her father but in order to combat them, she needed more assets._

 _When she had time, Karin returned to the cabin as often as she could with supplies; although the last time she'd set foot in that house, it looked as though a turbulent storm tore it to shreds._

* * *

"What are these, exactly?" Sedna muttered, holding up a black latex suit with a look that screamed annoyed.

"Tactical suit. Acts like a second skin, regulates heat, senses enemies…Certainly more subtle than those Accelerator Suits." Nightshade remarked snidely.

"A bit tight, isn't it?"

"You've got the bod, baby." Nightshade said, completely serious.

"One size fits all then?" Sedna deflected, feeling her cheeks warm slightly.

"Of course. I trust you've got the weapons bit handled."

Sedna nodded. They were able to salvage weaponry from secure cashes hidden throughout the world, and Roadblock's mission also afforded them a few specialty pieces. She made a mental note to seek him out later, maybe he'd have a better time getting Duke ready for the action.

"Will you be joining us then?" Sedna asked, dropping the suit back into the crate and leading the petite woman into the village.

"I have a bone to pick with a certain Arashikage ninja, so for the time being, yes."

"Snake Eyes is handing that."

"Then I'll take the interrogation." Nightshade said, a devious twinkle in her violet eyes. Sedna frowned. "Oh relax, I'll be good."

 _ **WHISPER**_

Sedna trusted Nightshade with acquainting herself with the rest of team and explaining her equipment; the power dynamics were certainly going to be interesting with the absence of General Hawk. She'd heard nothing from her surrogate uncle in a few weeks, only that he had moved his family to a safe place and would be staying with them "for a while". Whatever that meant.

The next thing on her to-do list was seek out another of Jungle Cat's wards whom Hawk had also named a niece, although like Nightshade she did not take his name. Sedna weaved her way between the huts until finally wandering towards the stables, giving a group of curious boys a look before she walked inside.

It only made sense to find Whisper loitering among the stables with the horses like an elf taken directly from Tolkien's books. Whisper was a master of several different languages, an excellent tracker and deadly warrior, so Sedna slid in beside her with a quiet grin. Unfazed, Whisper tilted her head back and blew the hair out of her face, the jagged scar that ran over one of her eyes visible for a few seconds.

"You've been taking care of them." She noted with an impressed tone. "Didn't think you liked horses."

"I knew you'd have words with me if I didn't. How badly were you hit?"

"I lost a couple dogs," Whisper admitted and Sedna noticed immediately that the German Shepard, Macy, was nowhere in sight. "And some good men. You?"

"Avoided most of it. I was solo in the rainforest."

"What on earth were you doing there?"

"Poaching." Sedna deadpanned and Whisper raised an eyebrow. "The zoos were starting to wonder what we're doing with all the exotic animals we've been taking in, was ordered to recruit some wild talent."

Whisper snorted at his surrogate sister's choice of words, reaching into a bag and grabbing a handful of oats.

"I made sure they were all safe. They've been transported to your ranch." Sedna continued languidly. "What happened to the ones with you?"

"I brought them with me, of course." Whisper answered nonchalantly.

"A group of tigers, lions, wolves, and bears...Where exactly do we hide those from Cobra?"

As if on cue, a symphony of deep mewling, muted roars, and rumbling growls rolled in from the darkness of the stables. Whisper, seeing the mildly distressed look on Sedna's face gently patted her arm as she fed the closest mare.

"They won't attack anyone." Whisper said reassuringly, backing away from the horse to kneel by an open cage. Sedna watched warily as the woman stuck her arm out and stroked the large orange tiger with bright eyes, its tail thumping against the ground as it rolled onto its side.

"Don't look so surprised, the old man's shown me some favour too, you know."

"Just don't let it go to your head, there are enough invading egos here."

Whisper let out an unladylike snort and stood back up, running her hand through her bangs and sighing. She grinned and Sedna shrugged her shoulders, throwing an arm around the shorter woman's neck and dragging her outside. They passed through a crowd of children and caught up with Jungle Cat, he meandered in between the two of them and put comforting hands on each of their shoulders. Sedna huffed.

"I'm fine," she insisted.

"You're about as fine as a coiled cobra," Jungle Cat murmured. "I can lead the meeting, if you wish."

"I could do it." Whisper offered, receiving mixed looks from her companions.

"Too blunt, I'll do it." Sedna growled. "Besides, I know everyone, you don't."

"Fair enough."

* * *

When everyone had assembled for the meeting out in the cool night air, it became very clear how little everyone knew each other. Abernathy's Angels – as Sedna loathed to classify them – were enigmas. Whisper was usually tied up training animals for combat and saw action only when it was extremely necessary; Nightshade was not formerly part of the Joe program nor was she on contract (that and she rarely needed General Hawk for anything), and Sedna was just an unfriendly personality.

Roadblock's team consisted of the veteran Lady Jaye and the rookie Flint. Lady Jaye was much like Scarlet in terms of intelligence and acting as a sort of buffer between her teammate's egos, she was also a weapons specialist with a little more experience. Flint was in the same vein as Ripcord and Duke when they initially joined up – cocky and naïve. Both had undergone some counselling from the village elders, focused on the path ahead.

Roadblock had also successfully broken Duke out of his stupor and while the blond soldier avoided Sedna, he was at least channeling his anger against their true enemy.

A laptop had been hooked up to all sort of complicated devices, supervised by Breaker, and after a few unsuccessful attempts, a video link was established somewhere in Russia.

The first thing that appeared on the screen after the static finally cleared was Erebus, an old friend of Snake Eyes. Several of the assembled crowd seemed to recognize him, Sedna had crossed paths with him a few times whenever she found herself traipsing about Japan. Aside from his tracking skills and impressive weapons and combat training, he was also a notorious flirt. Sedna moved her hands over her face, pressing her fingers into her eyes sockets just as Erebus's garbled voice started speaking.

" _I know we're about to get into things but we have a problem that needs addressing."_ Erebus grimaced at the look Whisper cast him.

"What problem?" Sedna growled irritated.

" _We've lost contact with Snake Eyes and Jinx. They were closing in on Storm Shadow, I think they found his hideout but we've heard nothing else since."_

"How long ago was this?" Scarlet interrupted.

" _Five days, we check in every three."_

Sedna sighed deeply and moved her fingers into her temples. A look around the circle of soldiers provided mixed reactions of anger and distress. Sedna looked over at Nightshade who wore a closely guarded expression of indifference, the bright-eyed woman compared it to Scarlet's face and pressed her lips into a thin line.

"Fine. Nightshade, you're going to Japan."

Scarlet flushed crimson. Nightshade raised an innocent eyebrow.

" _Ah,"_ Erebus said sagely. _"We only wanted to inform you of the situation, we're closer than you guys are and we can handle it."_

"Whose this "we" you keep referring to?" Nightshade queried and Erebus opened his mouth to answer when a woman with dark blue hair shoved Erebus out of his seat and sat down. Nightshade did a double take.

"Hang on a second, don't I know you?" Nightshade cocked her head to one side, eyeing the brilliant scar across the woman's face. The blue-haired woman peered at Nightshade and it looked like a lightbulb appeared over her head; her eyes lit up with recognition and she nodded.

" _You crashed at the cabin before – "_ she made a face. " _Look, we'll have a good long talk about it when you meet us in Iga."_ She looked at Sedna. _"Leave the ninja to us. We have a flight to catch so Nightstar can fill us in on the rest of the plan, OK? Lovely, bye."_

The video cut out and Nightshade turned around and gave the Joes a look.

"What the hell is going on?"

* * *

 **Ah, I meant to upload this sooner...hehe.**

 **Jungle Cat and Whisper are here courtesy of MustangLover97 and Nightshade is blackrosewitch1996's.**

 **Hope I got their characters down (and thanks for being so patient with me)**


	23. Chapter 21

**CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE: The Iga Confrontation**

"…so that's everything." I finished, yawning into my hand as Karin – wait no, _Nightshade_ – gave me a cold look.

After meeting up on the tip of Japan's northern most island, we'd travelled down the main island mostly on the Shinkansen which didn't take too long; Erebus made contact with Hattori Yoshida, current leader of the Iga clan, and arranged a private ride for us. We went from Aomori to Tokyo in three hours. That's over six hundred kilometres, going from Calgary to Fort McMurray takes at least six hours at the same distance (roughly). I was asleep for most of it, my cheek squished against the window as Erebus slumped heavily on my shoulder. I doubted he slept at all, his entire demeanor changed once we hit the country and it felt like our training all over again – no nonsense, no bullshit. I caught myself calling him Sensei a couple of times in my head, thankfully keeping my mouth from uttering that word. One part of me assumed he'd think it cute, the other worried about pissing him off.

Then again, safely tucked away in one of Iga's hidden compounds (I had to be blindfolded), he'd started calling me "kouhai" which was kind of endearing…kind of.

Erebus had disappeared with Hattori which left me alone with Nightshade to discuss everything that had happened so far in terms of my life and the plan ahead. She'd been really patient with me throughout the entire conversation but I also knew she was trying to get a read on my mental state, I would've preferred she didn't. Erebus hadn't been counselling me per say but the training and his rigorous instruction helped focused me on the future instead of falling back into dreaming about the past. Apparently Snake Eyes let it slip that I was having trouble sleeping so Erebus made it his mission in life to train me until I passed out on the floor, too tired to even dream.

"Why didn't you call me, you had my number." Nightshade said evenly, taking out her katana and a whetstone. I flinched at the sound of the stone scrapping the metal.

"Honestly, I forgot. A lot of things were happening and I wasn't thinking straight." I answered quickly. "Besides, we weren't due for another shipment of supplies and you could've been busy."

"Don't assume so much in the future." She hissed, glancing up from her work to glare. Her gaze softened a touch before she resumed sharpening her sword. "Have they been buried?"

"Probably, I wouldn't really know." I pulled my knees up to my chest and leaned against the wall. On my right side was a small circular window where the moon shone fully over the snow covered grounds. The sliding paper doors were on my left, the few candles in the room made the people walking outside look like giant shadow puppets. I looked back at Nightshade as she pulled my naginata into her lap, pulling off the sleeve protecting the blade and eyeing it critically.

"Are you actually any good with this?"

"Yeah," I blurted indignantly. "I wouldn't've come if I wasn't good."

 _Liar._

"Now, now, it's too late for fighting." Erebus muffled voice groaned, sliding the door aside and shuffling into the room. Somewhere between our arrival and his talk with Hattori, he'd changed into a dark blue and white _hakama_ , two swords hung loosely at his waist and he shrugged one shoulder.

"Yoshi says they've pinpointed Snake Eyes and Jinx's whereabouts."

"Yay?" I said anxiously, watching Erebus shut his eyes and sigh. "What's the problem?"

"They're claiming to be remnants of the Koga clan." He sent a look in Nightshade's direction before continuing. "But Iga has encountered no one from that school of ninjutsu in a few centuries."

Nightshade went rigid but her face held no betrayal of what her body was clearly sending out – _Danger, Will Robinson,_ I thought childishly. Erebus nodded slowly and settled more comfortably onto his bum, crossing his legs and assuming a "thinking pose"; his fingers came together in a complete circle that hovered over his stomach.

"I believe these people claiming to be Koga are Red Ninja, defectors from the Arashikage."

"And?" I interrupted, glancing over at Nightshade questioningly. Erebus sighed, tensing as a shadow passed by the door, kneeling and placing something on the floor.

"Iga and Koga were the founders of ninjutsu and proclaimed a sort of clan purity, no outsiders allowed much less foreigners. Around the time Snake Eyes, myself, and Nightshade joined the ranks, there were whispers of a rebellion going on but the Hard Master was quick to dispel those kinds of rumours. However, after his assassination, a large portion of Arashikage defected."

"And what Erebus doesn't want to admit is that there's a possibility Storm Shadow is leading the Red Ninja." Nightshade pointed her sword in his direction boldly, Erebus merely stared at the pointed edge with a mildly annoyed look on his face.

"I figured you'd gathered your own intel after your capture. But what matters is the absence of the Koga-ryu style in these alleged Koga ninja."

"They don't know it?" I ventured carefully, Nightshade pushed my naginata back into my hands and returned to sharpening her sword although she moved briskly towards her sai in a very deliberate matter. I wondered if maybe these two had met before or maybe their personalities clashed a little too much.

"No, they don't seem to know it. That style died with its last teacher in 1958."

"So, where does that leave us?" Nightshade cut in.

"We move tonight."

Nightshade's eyebrows disappeared under the fringe of reddish brown hair, watching Erebus rise and step backwards towards the doors where he sat down again and opened the doors. He threw two bundles of clothing at each of us, grabbing his own and walking towards one corner of the room.

"Our mission is to retrieve Snake Eyes and Jinx, Nightshade is to apprehend Storm Shadow _._ "

He slipped both arms out of his _hakama_ and I turned around before I could see him fully disrobe. I caught the teasing look Nightshade had on her face as she brazenly pulled off her T-shirt, and instantly faced away from her too. I eyed the paper doors skeptically. The scars and bruises had mostly cleared up but the burn marks were still vague reminders of what happened, I certainly didn't want to explain the burn marks to Nightshade or anyone for that matter.

"Can I blow out the candles?" I pulled my arm out of my shirt and sat down in front of the trio of lights.

Erebus regarded me as he pulled on a skin tight black shirt with a high collar, tying a belt around his waist and securing his swords up on his hip.

"Sure, I'll help you."

"Um, no, I got it."

He rolled his eyes and dipped down, the candles went out and I felt the bundle of clothes disappear from my hands. My heart dropped into my stomach and started dissolving.

"There aren't any tags. I'd hate for my cute little kouhai to put her uniform on backwards." His cheerful voice said somewhere over my head. I felt his breath over my ear. "You undress, I won't touch you…I'll just give you the right side, alright?"

"Yeah," I spluttered, choking on the breath I'd been holding in. Erebus ruffled my hair.

"Relax, nothing is going to happen to you. Stick with me, I'll protect you."

* * *

Despite the snow on the ground, I was barely cold. Our "uniforms" consisted of layers of dark clothing, alternating long-sleeved shirts with vests and pants with shorts a few times over until we were well insulated. The Iga ninja were up in the trees with Nightshade doing the ninja way of breezing over tree branches, Erebus and I were stuck running through the snow trying not to fall flat on our faces. I felt a little bad that Erebus wasn't up with the others, he and Hattori looked awfully happy to see each other in their own reserved way. They almost looked like brothers but Hattori was distinctly Japanese in appearance while Erebus had some mixed blood in him.

"Hey, Erebus."

"Doing alright, kouhai?" he said, annoyingly cheerful.

"Yes, but I have a question, Sensei." I replied indulgently.

"Speak, and you shall be heard."

He pulled on my arm and tugged me around a large tree, following the multiple shadows that leapt over the ground and into the next patch of trees. There was a large hill up ahead, like, an absurdly large hill, with a single white searchlight moving over the ground. Poor security? Maybe this would be alright after all.

"Are you…an Iga ninja?"

We skidded to a stop and Erebus held up his hand, lifting a finger to his lips. Ahead of us in the trees, I saw the moonlight reflect off the cool surface of someone's sword. The sound of someone's quiet breathing nearby made Erebus drop into a low stance, I copied him out of habit. One of his hands wrapped around the hilt of one of his swords and he shut his eyes.

 _One_

 _Two_

 _Three_

He leapt forward and unsheathed his sword, plunged it into a body, flicked the blood off and sheathed his blade all in one practiced movement. Iga ninja moved in to dispose of the Red Ninja, identified clearly by their red clothing, and Erebus ushered me into a sprint.

"No. I have distant cousins in the clan though. Yoshi and I do look a little alike, don't we?"

"Yeah. That was…Iaido, right?"

He shot me an impressed look, shoving me behind him as a shadow jumped down from above. He drew the other sword, performed two clean cuts and directed me away as the body was removed. The thumping of several footsteps behind us forced us over gnarly roots, listening to the sharp whistle of ninja wire pulled taut over skin, the choked gasps of those too slow to avoid them.

"Yes, I'm surprised you recognized it." Erebus murmured as the two of us joined the lucid shadow of Iga ninja scaling the hill.

"Saw a demonstration at a con."

"Cool."

Small talk was going to be a regular thing, and I relented when Erebus told me to get onto his back. He was taking a risk, bringing me along. Nightshade knew it, Iga knew it. I felt them close in around us as we dipped under the searchlight. We branched off, one side climbed left and the other right. The fastest of us converged from both sides at the searchlight, shutting it down and dispatching the guards. We slipped inside the hill which was more of a building, and Nightshade waved us over.

"Hattori says they're in the lower levels. Are you ready?" she looked at me, piercing me with that violet gaze.

I nodded. "I'll cover you."

"Don't worry about killing them," Erebus advised which seemed like something stupid to say. "Knock them out, knock them over."

Nightshade _was_ listening but then I saw her whip her head back and dart down the hallway, throwing herself along the floor and sliding under a row of legs. Erebus swore and took off after her as more ninja filled the corridor, he waited until he was in range before pulling out his swords and digging into the crowd of bodies swarming Nightshade. I glanced back behind us, catching sight of Hattori's ponytail as he disappeared into the shadows. Even as the experienced fighters in front of me finished their batch of prey, I felt his eyes still on us, still looking after us.

"Don't do that again." Erebus was saying when I finally walked over, ignoring the rag doll placement of the corpses. "I'm leading this mission, you follow me." Erebus growled and I flinched at the flippant look on Nightshade's face.

"Then lead." She challenged, moving aside as a something flew passed her head, grazing my cheek on its path behind us.

I felt the thin scar bleeding on my cheek and Nightshade tried a half-hearted look of apology before twirling away and engaging the enemy. Erebus swore again, this time in Japanese, and stalked forward like wave about to break onto the shore, a dull roar before thundering down with a powerful _whoosh!_ I shadowed him, blocking katana strikes and shoving them off his back, right into Nightshade's alternating blade play – a sai was stick in her teeth, the other clutched in her left hand as the katana sung in her right.

We continued down the narrow hallways, fighting off ninja until the corridors got colder and darker. They weren't as eager to fight us the further down we went, making Erebus assume they were congregating in the space Snake Eyes and Jinx were. And congregate they did.

Scores of Red Ninja filled the room like an impassible sea of red terracotta soldiers, still like death but almost moving minutely, swaying from side to side as if to hypnotize us. On a raised platform at the back of the room stood Storm Shadow, his mask missing and his eyes sweeping over us causally. Until he saw Nightshade. In that moment his perfect mask fell apart and he stumbled into the railing as he looked at her, shock and anger slowly moving over his face. Nightshade smirked and bid us a dramatic farewell, parting the red sea as easily as a wolf would part sheep.

She looked so bloody confident as she strode up the stairs and stood brazenly before him, but she was shaking. Her face was beautiful in a terrifying way, her eyes bright and the smile too sharp, too angry. Behind them sat Snake Eyes and Jinx, both chained to the wall with their hands bound high above their heads. Jinx seemed to take most of the beating, both her eyes were black and the front of her shirt had been cut open.

I wanted to see Snake Eyes but I was quickly aware of the waves of wrathful energy rolling off Erebus. He'd positioned himself in front of me the moment we stepped into the room, we were still close enough to the door that the others in the room were not so aware of me, but they had to be. My heart was pounding, I felt like my veins were tightening around my throat and trying to strangle me.

Erebus moved a hand to pull a cloth mask over his face, he then grasped both swords and held them out on either side of him.

"Stay with me, I'll protect you." he whispered thickly, I nodded numbly and adjusted the grip on my naginata. The blade hovered over the ground, I waited for him to move. When he did, all hell was going to break loose. He breathed in deeply and took several steps forward, I turned around and pressed my back against his and the room moved all at once, red on all sides, shutting us in. I tried getting a red on them, any of them, but they all looked the same. Most started at Erebus, perhaps recognizing him. The ones who stared at me did so with looks of distain or pity.

"Breathe," he rasped. I felt the muscles in his back move.

"Do they need an invitation?" I asked Erebus and then he was _gone_.

I ducked under a slash, raising the naginata up and lodging it awkwardly in someone's throat. The wet gurgling sound startled me, I jerked backwards, yanking the blade out and spinning around, warding off other attacks. Erebus returned into my line of sight for a moment, hacking off arms and impaling chests with the same cold gaze. His crimson eyes shone brighter, I struggled to meet up with him, slamming the staff end of my weapon into anything that got in my way. I felt sick, really sick. I only winded them, but Erebus was ripping through them, taking advantage of their staggering away from me.

I whipped around, awkwardly blocking a sword and whimpered, the ninja from before had found me again, his throat growing darker and darker with all the blood pouring out. I shut my eyes for a second, just a second, and when they opened a part of his face was missing. I teetered backwards as a wave of nausea hit me, crumpling and clutching my stomach. Both actions preventing my beheading, and I thrust upwards blindly. The blade got stuck again, going up through the chin and catching on the bone of the ninja's forehead. Wincing, I yanked it but out, kicking his body backwards and flying over it towards Erebus. He cast me a brief look, elbowing me behind him and tangling his swords against three others.

"The stairs." He ordered lowly, shoving his attackers back and roaring.

The Red Ninja pushed us towards the back of the chamber, underneath the metal platform where Nightshade and Storm Shadow were screaming at each other.

"You idiot!"

"Where have you been?"

"As if you care! These people killed my father, you bastard!"

Erebus shoved me towards the stairs, yelling at me to get to Jinx and Snake Eyes. I nodded, shaking, and watched the Red Ninja throw themselves around his arms, forcing him down onto his knees. I felt a pull in my chest and thrust forward, catching someone's shoulder and ripping through the skin there. None of them ever made pained sounds when injured, this one merely turned his head and stared dimly at me. I pulled back, adjusting my stance and raising the naginata up, bringing it down quickly and blinking as it cracked into his skull. That made heads turn. Two ninja came towards me, flipping their swords expertly and herding me away from the stairs.

"Oh great," I wheezed as they came on either side of me.

 _Stay calm. They'll want to test you first. They'll attack one at a time._ I heard Erebus say, so I waited. Like them, I had a mask on but it didn't wrap around my head, my blueberry hair was still very much centre stage. I tried mirroring their expression, narrowing my eyes and furrowing my eyebrows but it felt really stupid the more I focused on that.

The one of my right eased forward, sword at waist height. I reacted, swinging around and hoping to catch his throat but he moved back. The second jumped forward when I turned my back, I thrusted blindly behind me and hit his stomach. Twirling, I swung around and slashed through his chest, jumping back into the wall with a curse. The first one moved in again, slashing at me wildly. Stupidly, I threw the naginata at his chest, watching him drop his sword and stumble backwards with the sudden weight in his arms. I reached down for his sword and made to stab him with it but he caught it in his hand, kicking my feet out from under me. I straggled him awkwardly, shoving the sword into the ground and lodging it there. I slammed my fist into his throat until his body slackened and a few more ninja had gotten interested. I wrestled my naginata off him and made a beeline for the stairs, clamouring up and sliding along the floor like Nightshade had.

She had Storm Shadow pinned underneath her, her knees digging into his side the two of them held tight to each other's necks. For a second, I forgot they were fighting.

I pulled down the mask as I set to work on the locks around Jinx's wrists, ignoring the unimpressed look she had on her face as she stared blearily up at me. I grabbed a small knife from a pack on my hip and wiggled it around a few times, glancing back occasionally as Nightshade and Storm Shadow rolled towards us. Nightshade had the keys in her mouth and she spit them at me, reaching down with her free hands and grabbing Storm Shadow's crouch. His black eyes fixed her with a look so cold I thought she falter but Nightshade merely smiled and forced Storm Shadow to roll over until she could sit on his chest again. I quickly freed Jinx and watched warily as she stood up, swaying back into the wall and folding her arms over her chest with a moan. I put a hand on her shoulder and she shook me off with a hiss, putting a hand over her eyes and mashing her lips together. Then I looked at Snake Eyes.

His suit was all torn up, the visor cracked cleanly in half and the mask ripped in such a way that one blue eye was visible under a fringe of sweaty blond hair.

"Hey there, stranger," I squeaked, shuffling over to him and slamming the key into the lock. He leaned into my arms and sighed deeply, his body shaking despite himself. I lowered a hand and pushed my fingers through the gap in his mask, feeling the coolness in his forehead with a sense of dread. Once I got his arms down, he sagged into me and wound an arm around my back, shivering terribly.

"Come on, don't do this to me again, Hayabusa." I saw Jinx cock her head at the nickname. "We need to move and you're heavy."

He huffed as I moved his arm over my shoulder, forcing him to stand properly where he promptly fell into the wall, his eye rolling back into his head. I looked at Jinx desperately, darting down and grabbing my naginata as a Red Ninja flew up the stairs. I stabbed into his thigh and kicked him into the stairs, impaling his chest and watching him roll helplessly down the stairs.

"Storm Shadow drugged him, I do not know with what." Jinx reported robotically, I turned back towards Nightshade as the white ninja threw her off his body with a snarl.

Nightshade hit the ground once and she flipped back onto her feet with a mouthful of blood. She spat it out, taking a quick look of her surroundings before stalking back towards Storm Shadow. He batted her way with a dismissive slap, watching her back crash into the railing before he grabbed her neck and tossed her at us. I caught her sloppily in my arms and winced as she pushed off me with a glare.

"You want to truth, Karin?" he said bitingly. "I did not kill the Hard Master."

"Do those lies help you sleep at night?" She deadpanned, her gaze pinning him down.

"No, it is true. I will gladly submit myself to the tribunal to prove my innocence." He replied stubbornly, his eyes roving over Snake Eyes's body. The black ninja weakly raised his arms up and I lurched forward to catch him before he toppled over. He grunted angrily, trying to get his hands to work.

"Of all the chances you had to do this, why pick now?" I asked irritated, receiving a grateful nod from Snake Eyes as I helped steady him again.

"Because I will better serve as your ally instead of your enemy, and something big is coming." Storm Shadow looked imploringly at Snake Eyes and sunk into his knees, sheathing his sword and surrendering it before him.

"Brother, trust me." He bowed and behind him I could see the Iga ninja surging into the chamber. Erebus roared and I didn't need to look down to know he'd finally broken free. As for us, Nightshade was quiet. She stared hard at Storm Shadow's submissive form and looked to Jinx who vehemently begged Snake Eyes not to listen to his former friend. I watched his face warily, the one eye that was visible cleared up as he stared at his once best friend. He looked down at me and nodded, so I let go and watched him walk over. He practically fell onto his knees and Storm Shadow straightened immediately, catching his friend worriedly.

" _I trust you, Storm Shadow. Don't make me regret it."_

"Never again."

That's when the shuriken tore into Snake Eyes's throat.


	24. Chapter 22

**CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO: Truth**

" _When you killed for the first time, how did it feel?"_

" _Necessary?" Erebus parroted the questioning tone with a cheerful smile, shoving the blunt end of his wooden sword into my shoulder and successfully pushing me off balance._

 _We'd been at this for nearly three months; six hours a day and then an hour to mediate on the loss. I'd grown accustomed to the weight of the naginata and Erebus had taught me how to roll and dodge effectively. After I was slightly more proficient with my chosen weapon, he'd consider teaching me how to handle other weapons and build up my self-defense. I was good, not great, and anyone I would likely face likely had ten times the training and ten times the mental stamina._

 _I stumbled back a few steps, glaring down at my naginata and lifting it up waist height. I could easily angle it to block attacks to my face and legs but I was more concerned about my throat and chest at the moment. Erebus nodded at the familiar stance and in an instant, knew how to break through. He leaned back and then lunged forward with the sword raised high above his head. His wooden sword snapped against the petrified wood of my weapon, but I blinked at the impact. He grabbed the staff and pulled me behind him, his foot poking me soundly in the back._

" _You keep blinking." He said, unimpressed obviousness._

" _Because I'm scared you're going to hit me." I growled, avoiding his gaze entirely. Oh, big mistake. His hands wrapped around my ankles and he pulled me along the floor, any exposed skin squealing against the ground. He practically threw my legs down and stalked towards the table, picking up a very real sword and small dagger._

 _When did I let go of my weapon?_

 _I scrambled to my feet, awkwardly rolling under his arms and grabbing for it. I swung around, blinking as the sword crashed against the pole and the dagger made a swipe at my face. I forced myself to roll backwards, staggering backwards into the wall. Erebus had the blankest face I'd ever seen as he threw the dagger, it lodged itself in the wall next to my face and I gasped, dropping to the ground and covering my eyes._

" _Nope, nope, stop." I bit out quickly. "I can't do this."_

" _Thalia." He dropped the sword with a noticeable clang, kneeling beside me and clasping my shoulders. "Sorry, that was mean of me."_

" _Yes, it was. But if I was half as good as you, it would be fine."_

 _Erebus sighed and sat down beside me, keeping enough space between us as I relaxed. I was good, not great, and my fear was holding me back. I thought working through it would be easy, if the meditation helped with the nightmares then fighting would help with everything else. If I could fight against someone with killing intent, I could do anything…right? And Erebus wasn't trying to kill me, so I should've been able to get a few hits even in three months but again and again, I failed._

" _You didn't really answer the question, you know." I mumbled, getting up and grabbing my naginata with a glare. It was meant as a defensive weapon and offensive but in my hands, it was utterly useless._

" _It felt…necessary. I knew what was going to happen and how it was going to happen. I killed him quickly and painlessly."_

" _How do you know?"_

" _Because everyone before me who ever killed assumed it was painless."_

" _Did he deserve it?" I flinched at the look in his crimson eyes._

" _I don't ask those questions." He pushed off the wall and plucked his knife from the wall, picking his sword up and placed both on the table he'd gotten them from. I pushed the sheath over the blade on my naginata and leaned it against the wall beside the pack I'd prepared for the trip._

" _Why am I even going?" I whispered, hoping he wouldn't hear me._

" _Because you need to. I don't know what Snake Eyes expects of you or Hawk or anyone, but you need to make a serious choice about your future."_

" _And what's that?" I asked, turning around and stiffening as his towered over me._

" _Are you a killer?"_

* * *

I was running for Snake Eyes as Storm Shadow booked it for the Red Ninja by the stairs. I didn't look to see what the Arashikage ninja had done but judging from the painful screaming of his victim, it was probably best that I didn't see anything. I dropped down in front of Snake Eyes and grabbed his shoulders, both of his hands were clasped around his neck as the shuriken jutted out awkwardly from the side of his throat. It didn't seem like the standard edition, too many points and each point had tiny little teeth for extra damage and staying power; if I removed it, he'd only bleed out faster.

"Erebus!" I screamed, faintly aware of Jinx hovering behind Snake Eyes. Nightshade was with Storm Shadow, trying to pull him off the body of the –

 _Don't look over there, you won't like it._

Erebus was running up the stairs, using the momentum and speed to vault over Storm Shadow and the – d _on't look_ – so when he got up on the platform he appeared slightly breathless. He pulled his mask down and bent down beside Snake Eyes, probing the wound with an unreadable expression. He started tearing strips of his shirt off and tied them carefully around the ninja's neck, devoting extra time to wrap up the pointy ends of the shuriken less one of us accidently cut ourselves. Once he was done, he gently wiggled the shuriken around and when it didn't move a bunch, he let out a relieved sigh and turned to me.

"Think he can run?"

"He can barely stand, Jinx said he was drugged but he's remarkably lucid."

Erebus moved a hand over his face and groaned. "Fuck it, I'm carrying him. Get him up."

I gave Snake Eyes an apologetic look and hooked my arms around his waist, pulling him onto his feet with a grunt. Erebus spared a quick glance around the room and grimaced, pulling off Snake Eyes's mask. The ninja let out a choked noise and he staggered backwards into me, I held him in place as Erebus wrapped a bandana around the lower half of his face.

"Helping you breathe, Shizu." Erebus soothed, turning around and bending low enough for Snake Eyes to drunkenly climb on. "You're lighter than I remember, we'll have to fix that."

"More are coming," Storm Shadow pointed out, Nightshade had a hand around his wrist and he didn't shake her off. "We must move, quickly."

"I know that. Nightshade, take Jinx and Storm Shadow and start going, we'll be along shortly."

Erebus winked at me and Nightshade nodded uncertainly, Storm Shadow lifted a glaring Jinx into his arms and the three of them descended the stairs. With a grunt, Erebus directed me to a roll of rope hanging off his side and instructed me to tie Snake Eyes's hands and legs around him in case unconsciousness set in during our escape.

"Not too tight though, we've save the kinkier stuff for later." He added cheekily and Snake Eyes let out an unimpressed snort.

"You are _not_ helping me right now."

"I'm diffusing tension, kouhai." Erebus reached out and ruffled my hair. "You're going to have to lead us out of here, I can't do much with this sack of potatoes."

Another unimpressed noise came from Snake Eyes and I nodded warily. I stared at the wide opening to the chamber and then unenthusiastically at the floor littered with bodies. There was no avoiding it, I'd have to step on a few people to get out. Two Iga ninja waited and with some gentle prodding from Erebus, we started moving. A few times, we heard sounds and I stabbed whatever shouldn't be moving or speaking, painfully aware of the two pairs of critical eyes on my back. I wished Snake Eyes was asleep.

We travelled back up the corridors in dead silence with only Snake Eyes laboured breathing provided the soundtrack to our escape. Considering the size of the hill, I would've figured this place filled to the brim with enemies. I fell in step with Erebus, watching the ninja in front melt into the shadows.

"I guess Hattori-san got most of the bad guys?" I whispered, eyeing Snake Eyes worriedly.

"Probably," he answered shortly.

We arrived at our entrance point where the two Iga ninja rigged up a rope system that would carry Erebus and Snake Eyes down, we'd be the last ones to leave the building. As they lowered the pair down, I had my back to the opening so I could see all the other passageways. The faint din of battle was echoing up from a lighted hallway, I kept glancing up at the ceiling in case someone was sneaking towards us.

"Go."

One of them pulled my arm and I squinted in the low light for Erebus. The other ninja directed me to place my feet on a thin strand of rope while holding onto another one stretched horizontally over my head, fastened with pegs to the ground and rock face. I threw my naginata over the side of the cliff, hearing it thump into the snow and then allowed myself to be lowered. I stared at the rock in front of me, heights were never a big deal for me but looking down wouldn't make the trip faster. Looking up made little sense as well.

We didn't wait for everyone else, following in the footsteps of our allies as we made a slow trek back to safety.

* * *

" _She's not very responsive to me."_

" _That isn't my problem. I need to know where Snake Eyes is hiding, the President is not aware of his location which means due process isn't happening."_

" _I don't see why you're so antsy about this, regardless if you find him or not, the plan still happens. And if you want info so badly, why don't you have a go with her?"_

 _The Faceless Master nudged me with his boot, flipping me onto my back and smiling. I didn't move, didn't breathe. Maybe he'd leave me alone. Storm Shadow loomed over me, a halo of fireflies dancing above his head. He plucked one from the air and bent down, pressing the lighted end into my neck. I didn't want to make a sound, if I didn't say anything I wasn't here. I was somewhere else. Somewhere else…_

" _Where did he go?"_

" _Don'tknowdon'tknowdon'tknow."_

" _I didn't catch that," he lifted the firefly off, brushing a thumb against the newly burned skin. "You spent precious time destroying something back at your quaint little cabin. Something vital. Can you tell me what it was?"_

" _No." You idiot, stop talking. You aren't here. Aren't here. Here…_

" _You are lying, again."_

 _He shoved the firefly into an area over my collar bone, I swung around to kick him but he pinned my legs down. Why are you moving? You aren't here. He sat on my knees and dragged the lightened edge over my shoulder, a knot of nausea worked its way up my throat and I turned my head to side, retching and twitching like a sick animal. Storm Shadow rose, grabbed me by the hair and grabbed me towards the wall where the sink was. He sprayed me down with warm water, agitating the burns more and more._

 _Stop thinking about it. It's not real. Wake up, stupid._

" _I can see you're tired, we'll pause for the day."_

* * *

I bolted upwards, my forehead colliding with someone else's as I scrambled out of the bed and threw myself out the door. I raced down one hallway and turned out into the courtyard outside, dashing towards an empty fountain and sitting behind it. My hands found that burn easily and I shuddered at how cold I was. The sky was burnt orange with dark purple clouds roving over the bright sun, I could see a few people peering out of the compound at me. I pushed myself further behind the fountain and hissed at the bits of rock biting into my feet. I grabbed a handful of snow and shoved it down my shirt, closing my eyes and whimpering pathetically. Someone was walking towards me.

"Thalia?"

"Morning," I gasped, peering at him with a fake smile. It was Yoshida Hattori, his warm brown eyes filled with concern.

"Indeed, would you like breakfast?" He asked softly, bending down to my level. "Or maybe you'd like to visit Snake Eyes?"

"He's awake? Is he alright?"

I was standing moments later, a wave of vertigo hitting me. Hattori put a cautious hand on my shoulder and nodded, smiling serenely. I wondered if I'd seen him fight last night, I wondered if I would've been scared.

"Yes. But maybe you should get dressed, hm? I'll send someone to get a bath ready."

"But I –"

He stared at me. It reminded me so strongly of the look Erebus would give me but while his was outwardly threatening…Hattori just looked _nice_. _Too nice_. It was the weird smile that involved closing your eyes and tilting your head to one side. I felt unnerved.

"That would be lovely. Thank you, Hattori-san." I bowed my head respectfully and Hattori placed an arm behind my shoulders, leading me back into the compound. We passed by the room where Nightshade stuck her head out and flashed me a sorry smile before she left the room, giving Hattori a peculiar look. I made to go inside but Hattori tugged me forward, and we went out another set of doors and walked around the snowy courtyard.

"I'll have something sent for you, please take as much time as you need." He left me standing in front of two separate doors where two flags hung over each. One was blue and the other was red, a woman quietly directed me into the red flag room. She didn't stay long, waiting patiently outside for me to disrobe and drop my clothes into a bin as I grabbed a short white towel and tiptoed out into a closed off hot spring.

"No way…" I let go of the towel and eased myself into the hot water, wincing as a familiar stinging sensation rode up my entire body. Back when I lived in Calgary with my mother, we made yearly trips up to the Banff hot springs during the summer before school started; the water was enriched with natural minerals that supposedly sped up the healing process.

It would probably take a few months in this water for all the burns to heal and I knew we weren't staying here long. Or maybe I could. As I started washing my hair, I couldn't help but wonder if there was any real threat for me now. With Storm Shadow's assistance, the Joes would have intimate knowledge of Cobra's plans, and with the large forces of Joes mobilizing for an attack I couldn't be that much of an asset.

 _I guess I'll be going home soon._

I sunk deeper into the water, glaring at the small white towel lying in a pathetic heap on the floor.

 _That's what I want, right? To go home._

* * *

A dark blue kimono with embroidered orange blossoms was folded neatly on one of the benches along with a long orange sash. A figure hovered patiently just outside the door and once I pulled the kimono on, the woman from before swept into the room and tied a neat little bow behind my back. She gestured for me to follow her and then we strode back around the courtyard, standing opposite the guest rooms. We padded into the main building at the centre of all the labyrinthine hallways were sunlight poured through a pair of open doors, a cool breeze disturbed the paper screens. The woman gently retreated with a bow and I stepped into the room where both Erebus and Snake Eyes were sitting.

Erebus was sitting against one wall attempting an expression of relaxation but his eyes were staring fixedly at Snake Eyes's throat. He had tied the sleeves of his _hakama_ around his waist so his bare chest was exposed and wrapped in a few rolls of bandages. Someone had taken precious time in fixing his long black locks into an intricate braid that had been twisted into a neat bun on top of his head, stuck in place with glass chopsticks. His face turned towards me and he uttered a noise of greeting but he kept his gaze on the mask less Snake Eyes.

Snake Eyes looked…resigned. He sat in a wide futon, bandages covered most of his chest and his arms, a few band aids were taped to his face. He was wearing a loose pale green shirt rimmed with white, a wide band was tied carefully around his neck. Thinking back to our first meeting, he had grown thinner and paler but his eyes were bright as ever; he patted the seat next to him with a wan smile.

"You look terrible." I said bluntly, pausing awkwardly before sitting down. "I think I meant to say that gentler."

"I'm sure he doesn't mind," Erebus said peevishly, folding his arms over his chest.

"If it means anything, _you_ look nice."

"Arigato, nee-chan." He sneered with a grin.

I looked back at Snake Eyes and raised an eyebrow at the pitiful ponytail at the base of his neck, the ninja immediately pointed at Erebus who shrugged with a toothy grin. I gingered touched the roll of bandages around Snake's neck with a frown.

"So…you're not dead." I bit back a smile as Snake Eyes's shoulders shook. "What's the prognoses?"

" _I can't speak."_

He looked so _tired_. As if all the fight had just been drained from him and he was hanging on finely spun threads. A look at Erebus saw the muscles on his arms tighten as his face darkened and twisted into a smouldering scowl. Snake Eyes leaned back into the wall, dropping his bandaged hands onto the blankets and shrugged. Where was the anger? Where was the yelling or the attempt to yell? I searched his face for emotion, for anger, for sorrow…Wasn't the vow of silence something that gnawed at him? He would speak again when the murderer of his master was brought to justice, and if Storm Shadow wasn't the culprit, then he knew the truth. Provided that the last twenty-fours could be rewritten and we could edit out the shuriken, Snake Eyes could realistically be speaking again, soon. So why wasn't he angry?

"Don't bother, Thalia. I've been annoying as shit and he's been nothing but cordial." Erebus growled as he stood up. "You look after him, I need to inform the others about the situation." He marched out of the room without another word and shut the doors behind him.

Snake Eyes smiled weakly, jerking his head at one corner of the room where my naginata was propped against the wall. When we'd returned to the stronghold, I kind of remembered passing the naginata to Erebus as I helped Snake Eyes off his back. And then the ninja took Snake Eyes and I wandered back to the rooms.

"I'm not that good with it, really."

" _You seemed to handle it well enough,"_ he signed slowly. _"You need to give yourself more credit."_

"Yeah, well, I don't need the pep talk from you."

" _Thalia – "_

I grabbed both his hands. Snake's eyes widened and he covered up his surprise with a fake smile, trying to yank his arms free. I kept holding his hands together, knowing too much movement might hurt him, waiting for him to realize my intentions. Anxiety marked his face, I swallowed the growing lump in my throat.

"You aren't OK with this, are you? The silence?"

His mouth opened for a retort. He made a conservative effort to avoid staring at me directly. I forced our joined hands down, pushing my forehead against his.

"And that's fine. You don't need to be OK with it but, but keeping it to yourself won't help. You have every right to be angry."

 _Where have I heard that before?_

He snorted derisively and feeling his hands shake, I let go and leaned away. Snake Eyes huffed, glaring down at his hands as his fingers flexed and curled into his palms. He threw his head to the side and stared out the window, his lips twisting into a wolfish snarl. The energy in the room was so suddenly threatening despite the sunshine shooting into the room. I sat back on my bum, sticking my legs out and staring at the faint scars on my feet, prodding his side with my toes childishly. He eyed me dangerously, the snarl curving into a smile both inviting and terrifying.

" _That's really something coming from you."_

"Monkey see, monkey do, Hayabusa."

* * *

Later that day (after a tense breakfast, and quiet lunch) a group of us gathered in the lantern-lit courtyard with a dozen or so Arashikage ninja. The Iga ninja hovered menacing on rooftops with longbows in case the armed ninja with katana failed in executing Storm Shadow. The Arashikage, all dressed in white, stood in a semi-circle around Storm Shadow who was standing stock still with his arms bound behind his back. Nightshade was slouching beside him, her sword stuck in the ground but well within reach – I wasn't sure if it was to kill him or to defend him. Jinx, still very much purple and blue, stood beside a dark-skinned man with incredibly bright sightless eyes. One could tell he was blind by the way he stared vaguely out over the crowd, but as the thought crossed my mind, he looked over in my direction with an odd expression.

I was standing behind both Snake Eyes and Erebus as they took up the space a few feet behind Storm Shadow. Both had pulled on identical black skin-tight suits, something Nightshade had brought with her, and they both had their weapons drawn.

"Who is he?" I whispered at Erebus.

"The Blind Master, interim leader of the Arashikage clan." He answered quickly.

The Blind Master, sensing the level of restlessness in the assembly of witnesses raised the short staff he was holding off the ground and stomped it into the ground. A wave of silence washed over everyone and he turned and stared at Storm Shadow.

"Storm Shadow," he began. "Our once beloved Tomisaburo Arashikage, and heir to the clan you once hailed from before your fall. You stand before us as the accused murderer of the Hard Master, your uncle, and countless others under the authority of Cobra Commander. Do you deny these charges?"

"I do." An audible gasp rippled through the crowd and Erebus cautiously stepped forward.

"Then allow me to present the evidence of your crimes." From within his robes, the Blind Master pulled out a long black katana and stabbed it into the ground. It wobbled slightly at the sheer force of impact, dried blood still caked the edge.

"This is the sword, your sword –"

"It is not – "

"That took the life of our beloved Hard Master – "

"It is a lie!" In the blink of an eye, Storm Shadow jumped through his bound arms and spun around. He lunged at Snake Eyes and snatched one of his blades. Nightshade staggered forward, ready to cut him down but Storm Shadow stopped her with a look.

"That is not my sword." Still staring at Nightshade, he swung Snake's sword and shattered the black blade.

Jinx looked mortified, Snake Eyes froze up, and Erebus was caught between looking impressed and shocked.

"Arashikage steel does not break so easily." He continued, facing the Blind Master. "I have done many things while serving under Cobra but my true goal was to find the one who killed my master, who framed me, and made me an outsider and traitor."

He slowly walked in a circle as he spoke, meeting everyone's eyes with no trace of blame or pity, just anger. Controlled, refined anger. It was like he could explode at any moment and it was a fight to keep the fire contained. He paced around until he faced the three of us.

"I cannot ask for forgiveness for what I have done because I do not deserve it. For a time, I was under Cobra Commander's control but I earned his trust by breaking him out of prison," he stared at me. "And by attempting to extract information on the whereabouts of G I Joe operatives."

"And you did this alone, without contacting help." Blind Master said, his voice as steady as a river.

"No one would help me, so I took the burden upon myself."

It was difficult to judge the crowd of masked faces but a few visibly sagged with the truth of Storm Shadow's words. Snake Eyes was resolute, I think he'd managed to forgive Storm Shadow already.

"So, who did it then?" Erebus deadpanned. Jinx sent him a reproachful glare but the Blind Master merely nodded his head, agreeing with the question.

Storm Shadow pivoted slightly in Erebus's direction.

"I do not know his true name, he introduced himself as Zartan. And he has assumed the American President's identify."

Erebus seemed to recognize the name, and a grin worked onto his face. He turned towards the Blind Master and bowed, requesting permission to leave. There was a giddiness in him that I hadn't seen since we started training together, and as he bounded away towards Hattori – speaking rapidly in Japanese – I felt like he had stumbled upon some great info that would make this conflict so much easier to end.

"He plans to unleash a powerful weapon on the world at UN summit in Fort Sumter, three days from now."

But I could be wrong.


	25. Chapter 23

C **HAPTER TWENTY-THREE: Say Something**

Thalia followed silently behind Erebus and Snake Eyes back to their room after the meeting's conclusion. Bidding goodbye to the assembly of Arashikage ninja and Jinx, the two ninja now faced a very real challenge ahead of them. Given the revelations revealed, Jinx would was tasked with creating a welcoming atmosphere to her tentatively cleared cousin. Who knew if he'd still be considered a viable heir, but if Snake Eyes had any say in the debate, it would be yes. Jinx was another matter entirely if she couldn't put aside her own vendetta.

Snake Eyes did not speak with Storm Shadow, a silent agreement had already been struck between them and an old friendship would soon be on the mend – ignoring Erebus's own reservations. Erebus and Storm Shadow were never close, he came along shortly after Storm Shadow fled the compound and grew up with the tale of how the Hard Master was killed. Erebus was slightly more at ease given that Storm Shadow provided a name he recognized, but he did not trust Storm Shadow in the slightest. Not that Snake Eyes blamed him.

Sighing softly, he pulled the doors open to the room and watched Erebus settle on his futon with an excited look on his face. Snake sent him a reprimanding glance and turned away as Thalia carefully slipped out of her kimono in the cool darkness of one corner. Erebus tossed her a pair of his oversized sweat pants and a tank top blindly, dragging another futon beside him. Snake Eyes shrugged out of his ninja ware and eased himself under the covers, sensing Erebus's concerned gaze. He made a few signs signifying he was alright, and shuffled backwards as Thalia meekly lay between them.

She had a pensive look on her face, looking between both men anxiously before she rolled onto her side and faced Snake Eyes, shutting her eyes almost instantly. Snake Eyes raised himself up and gave Erebus a look, the other man rolled his eyes and nudged her with his foot.

"Feeling alright?"

 _Eloquent as usual, Erebus._

"Fine," she answered shortly, her face scrunching up.

Unsatisfied with the answer, Erebus inched his futon closer and propped his chin up on her shoulder like a petulant child. Thalia opened her eyes and her face morphed into an expression of suppressed annoyance.

"Good. Sleep well, we'll be training you extra hard these next few days."

"Wait, "we"?" Her expression warped into a cross between anxiety and excitement, casting a look over at Snake Eyes and then shoving Erebus off her shoulder.

"Of course, Shizu has to make sure I've done my piece right." He snickered, dropping onto his back and sighing.

Thalia looked back at Snake Eyes and the ninja was reminded of one of their first confrontations after he'd rescued her, how angry she had been when he refused to teach her. Arguably, she still was angry and arguably, he shouldn't be teaching anything until she and Storm Shadow had a serious talk. Then again, he expected his brother was getting quite the earful from Nightshade; Thalia opted to let the two of them share the room tonight while she came and bunked with Erebus and himself.

Looking into her green eyes, Snake Eyes also knew Storm Shadow had to be on her mind as well.

" _He taught you defense, and I wanted to teach you offense…"_ he paused. _"You already took the first steps as few nights ago."_

"I was actually trying to forget that, but thanks." Thalia muttered, wincing as Erebus dropped a heavy hand onto her head.

"You did what had to be done, Thalia." Erebus said gently. "You took life to protect life, I mean, you didn't _enjoy_ killing them did you?"

"No! Of course not!" she hissed in response and Erebus ruffled her hair in a brotherly manner.

"Good. Your morals are intact and you're not a killer." His crimson eyes flickered to Snake's immediately so Snake reached over Thalia and flicked Erebus's forehead.

" _You're a protector, Thalia,"_ he assured her. _"Protector."_

He met her gaze steadily, waiting patiently until she slowly nodded and verbally agreed with him. Erebus let out a contented sigh and pulled the covers up over Thalia's shoulder with a quiet goodnight. The candles blew out and Snake Eyes felt his senses relax ever so slightly. Beside him, Thalia let out a shaky breath and he cautiously reached out and squeezed her hand, a soft gasp escaped her lips and he smiled, though she couldn't see.

She twisted her hand out of his and moved her finger along his palm – _Thanks._

Child-like, he stretched one of his fingers against her hand – _You're part of the team._

Erebus groaned and flopped onto his stomach, tapping his fingers along his arm distractedly.

Thalia inched nearer and Snake Eyes inhaled the scent of lavender coming off her hair, he swallowed thickly as her finger moved along his hand – _If Erebus starts snoring, can we boot him out of the team?_

Snake Eyes chuckled, the sound not leaving his throat and Thalia giggled. Erebus made a derisive snort and smacked the back of her head.

"Stop fooling around with her, she needs sleep." He grumbled.

"We aren't fooling around!" Thalia cried indignantly, kicking her feet into Erebus.

Snake Eyes sighed and tapped her head gently, quickly searching out her hand after he gained her attention – _He's right. Get some rest._

Thalia huffed and scribbled a mark less "goodnight" into his hands. Snake Eyes listened to her breathing until they both fell asleep.

* * *

Erebus and Snake Eyes woke up just before the dawn. A small breakfast tray was left outside their room with a few bowls of steamed rice, grilled salmon and a pot of tea. Erebus yawned and shuffled outside for some morning stretches, fixing the braid pinned on top of his head. Snake Eyes grimaced at the sight of him shirtless and barefoot in the cool morning, the old scars almost glowing in the rising light.

Carefully, as he knew from experience that Thalia was _not_ a morning person, he gently roused her from her slumber and gestured to the tray. She took one look outside and groaned, grabbing a cup of tea and glaring at the wall. Snake Eyes laughed soundlessly, catching the way she flinched at his movements and picked up his bowl, placing the fish inside and staring outside. Erebus climbed back inside, playfully ruffling Thalia's hair and copying Snake Eyes. The woman looked between them miserably, picking up a piece of salmon with her chopsticks and groaning.

"Come on," Erebus teased. "We've done this before."

"I couldn't see outside though; it was easier when I thought the sun was out." She groused, Erebus flicked a grain of rice onto her face. A vein in her forehead twitched dangerously.

Snake Eyes pulled out a pair of socks and shoes for her, he and Erebus finished quicker, and Snake Eyes started his own stretches as he waited for Thalia to join them. When she did, she pulled a robe on and joined them in the fluffy snow with her naginata. Sweeping in beside her, Snake Eyes took the weapon and placed it against the wall, tossing her a wooden staff. Erebus picked up his own and started twirling it between his hands, smug grin in place. Snake Eyes released a long breath.

" _I'd rather avoid adding to our injuries,"_ he gestured to himself and Thalia. _"We'll move through the basics and once I'm satisfied, we'll move up a level. The only time that naginata will be used is three days from now."_

"So, no pressure then." Thalia sighed, sinking into a defensive stance.

Snake Eyes nodded his approval and took a step back as Erebus marched in front of her. Thalia's mouth dropped open and she narrowed his eyes at him. A light flickered in her eyes as Erebus lowered himself to the ground, she dashed forward and thrust for his stomach. Erebus intended to jump and even if she struck out quickly, he used the momentum to throw himself behind her and slam his staff into her back. Snake Eyes winced. Thalia growled and hastily climbed to her feet, thrusting forward in quick beats and praying for an opening. Miraculously she caught his chin, regretted it, and stumbled backwards as Erebus advanced.

A teaching moment appeared. Snake Eyes moved in behind her, wrapping his hands around hers and blocking the onslaught of attacks. He felt her pull against him, aiming for his legs, but he always moved her target at the last second. Yes, the legs were a good start but when she phoned in her movements like that…

After the point of the staff sailed pass Erebus left ear, Thalia stopped.

"Am I that obvious?" she sputtered, bracing herself as Erebus rammed into them.

Their feet slid against the ground and Snake Eyes felt the ice beneath his naked feet, giving Erebus a thoroughly unimpressed look.

"You do telegraph just a little," Erebus admitted. "You're very expressive…but then again, I've taught you movement most trained fighters would recognize." He added sheepishly.

"And you want to correct this in three days?" Thalia deadpanned, fixing her stance and waiting for Erebus to move. He frowned and she lunged forward, dragging Snake Eyes with her as she stabbed Erebus's unguarded foot. He grunted in mild pain, blinking in surprise as the staff came up and slammed into his throat. Snake Eyes felt Thalia freeze up as Erebus started coughing, squeezing her hands encouragingly.

"Do you _want_ to come with us?" _You're part of the team._

"Yes, I do!" she yelled and Snake Eyes let go.

She swung at Erebus as if he was a giant baseball, catching his thigh with an audible _whack!_ Stunned for a second, Erebus hopped to the side, yelping as she continually swung at him, moving from left to right, up and down. Snake Eyes smiled. While he fully intended to instruct her, she had moved of her own volition before he could offer her advice. And she was always observant so when Erebus bent his arm ever so slightly, she dove in and caught him squaring in the chest.

Erebus staggered backwards, mildly impressed. Thalia looked behind her, expecting Snake Eyes but he was standing several feet away. He nodded, smiling, and then something in his face must've shown as Erebus advanced on her. Thalia threw herself along the icy ground and punched the end of the staff right between Erebus's legs. He dropped the staff and shut his eyes with a grimace, ignoring the startled laughter bubbling out of his student.

"Oh you," he said, almost fondly. "You lovely, lovely, human being."

"I'm sorry…I just…I panicked and I…" she covered her mouth with her hands and wheezed.

"You think I'm mad? I'm not _mad_." Erebus growled, folding in on himself and tipping onto the ground. "You _should_ use everything to your advantage, even your opponent's genitals."

Snake Eyes ambled over, coughing harshly because he too was laughing. He took a seat on the steps leading down from the room and placed a foot on Erebus's side. Erebus grinned meanly and forced himself into a sitting position, glaring at Thalia who was still in the midst of her giggling fit.

"Is this…your first time?" she managed hoarsely, tears sticking to the corners of her eyes.

"No…" Erebus whined and Snake Eyes poked him. "But…I wasn't expecting you…doing that…geez, woman."

" _Well, you've certainly picked up a few tricks."_ Snake Eyes signed. _"I'm proud."_

"Let's trade places for a second and see if that changes your mind."

" _Don't be a sore loser – "_

"Sore loser my ass, Shizu-chan. That hurt." Erebus yelped, smacking Snake Eye's legs away and burying his face in the snow. "Gimme your staff, Thalia. I need to teach this little shit a lesson."

" _You're not even older than me."_

"Like I care. I'll fucking tie you down and hit it until it blackens."

Thalia made a face and stood up, obviously interpreting this moment as an ideal place for a break. "I'm gonna go over here and let you sort out your sexual frustrations."

Erebus snorted and sat up, eyeing Thalia with a devious look as she sat down on one of the futons.

"And you aren't frustrated? I'm willing to bet you secretly, probably, wouldn't mind such a sight."

Snake Eyes turned around expecting an angry retort from the woman but she merely blushed and turned away quickly, massaging her temples and trying (failing) to act natural. Snake Eyes swallowed thickly and returning his gaze to Erebus who was still smiling. Raising an unimpressed eyebrow, Snake Eyes lifted his staff and whacked the side of Erebus's head.

* * *

As the dinner hour approached, the trio stopped their training for the day and headed for the baths. Snake Eyes had taught her moves from several different styles and helped teach her basic flips, Erebus was largely uninvolved unless he was giving advice. The first day went over well with little injuries along there might been some light bruising but Thalia wasn't overly concerned. Snake Eyes was though. Quick learner that she was, he felt she was rushing just a bit, whether she was eager to please him or simply prove she was ready. Snake Eyes guessed it was a bit of both seeing as her training with Erebus went over very smoothly and quickly. At least the younger man was thorough and at least he had more time.

"You could tell her to stay, you know." Erebus pointed out. "You're her teacher."

The two of them sat opposite each other in the baths, separated from Thalia by a tall concrete wall. Snake Eyes shrugged, fingering the scar across his neck and closing his eyes. He wanted her to stay put, Iga would protect her until this business with Cobra was put to rest but that also meant his time with her was limited. He hadn't given much thought towards the future assuming everything went as planned, where would Thalia even go? What would she do? Staying with Erebus, while dangerous, seemed like a good idea because the two of them got along really well. He imagined Thalia saw Erebus as an older brother figure but where did that leave him? Snake Eyes opened his eyes and Erebus nodded.

"You care about her a lot, we all see it."

" _We?"_ Snake Eyes echoed.

"Yeah. I mean, Storm Shadow could've gone a number of different routes to track you down, but instead he went right for her."

Snake Eyes groaned and sunk deeper into the water. That was the other thing he needed to address, if he really intended Thalia to join them, she needed to have a serious talk with Storm Shadow. The last couple of days had been peaceful but Erebus mentioned that on the trip to Japan there were nights he spent wide awake watching Thalia wrestle with nightmares. Snake Eyes knew she saw Storm Shadow in those nightmares even if she wouldn't admit it; she knew of Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow had been friends…maybe she thought it was rude to share seeing that Snake Eyes was already so trusting…

"And the fact is she cares about you. She went through hell to protect a stranger, and she's still going through hell to gain your respect."

" _She has it."_ Snake Eyes narrowed his eyes in the mist, blowing bubbles.

"Does she know that?"

" _Why are you sudden so talkative?"_ Snake Eyes rose out of the water and levelled a hard stare at Erebus. _"In all the time I've known you, you've never been so…involved."_

Erebus made a hopeless expression, grimacing and casting his gaze away at the wall. His thoughts went backwards in time where he was living a somewhat normal life with his childhood sweetheart, painting the walls of the nursery bright blue with a sun and fluffy clouds. He thought of the quiet brunette who would follow him home after school and watch him train in the backyard. Of the girl who tracked him down for years and lived with him, trained under him, who would've produced him a child.

Snake Eyes recognized the distant look in his friend's eyes with a sinking sense of dread. He stood up and shook his head.

" _Don't you dare compare us. It's not like that at all."_ What good could come out of settling down with him anyway?

"Snake Eyes it _is_ like that. She's treading the same path as…as Ari did with me." Erebus's face scrunched up at the mention of his departed wife. "Why do you think I wanted her to stay with me? I wanted to avoid this because I knew how you would react. What do you think will happen if she gets _hurt_ or even _killed_ in two days? Think you'll recover?"

" _We aren't there yet – "_

"Yet? You're implying something."

" _I am not!"_ Would she have to continue hiding? Stay inside ninja compounds all her life? Watch her children turn into killers?

"OK, OK." Erebus said gently, standing up as well and walking pass him. "But you need to think about this seriously, and try not to forget you're trying to keep her alive. She won't be vulnerable this time."

Erebus patted his back and disappeared back inside, leaving Snake Eyes alone in the mist.

* * *

There was a decidedly different aura during dinner in the room. Erebus was jovial as usual but Snake Eyes was very quiet, well, quiet in the sense that he barely moved or signed anything the entire time. Erebus sought to distract Thalia with some old stories about his younger years with the Iga and Arashikage clans, or tell obscene jokes. She knew something had transpired between them and had the sinking suspicion it had to do with her. Snake Eyes hadn't met her eyes this entire time, in fact he was almost avoiding, his body turned away, his eyes partly closed. Thalia frowned. She stared blankly at Erebus who was looking at Snake Eyes who was looking down at his finished plate.

"So you don't want me to come, is that it?" Thalia deadpanned.

Snake Eyes shut his eyes and let out a deep sigh.

"It is, isn't it?" Thalia crossed her arms over her chest and glared at them both. "Well, I'm going regardless."

"Oh?" Erebus seemed awfully amused for some reason.

"I need to get over this…this thing. So I'm going to talk to Storm Shadow and then Snake Eyes is going to tell me about the firefly dude and then you two are going to make me into somewhat decent fighter in the next two days. I don't know what I'm going to do afterwards but I…I'm not OK. I'm not."

Thalia imagined for half a second that Logan and Hideki were sitting with her.

"This isn't about revenge for me. It's about stopping the nightmares and getting over my fears. I used to be so scared Erebus would hurt me, that Cobra or Storm Shadow would come in and murder everybody and I hate it. I don't want to be scared anymore and I'm not letting you take that anyway from me."

It hurt looking at them because every word wanted to make her cry. She was processing their expressions, trying to keep her vice from breaking, and trying to ignore the lingering ghosts in the room. Erebus looked too much like Hideki with those deep thoughtful eyes, and their shared time together made her think of Logan in so many ways it almost hurt. But watching Snake Eyes made her chest hurt, like the air in her lungs turned to ice and she couldn't breathe. She'd done so many things for him, because of him, and she wanted him to know she didn't regret it. She'd always wanted to travel and now she been to America and Russia and Japan several times in several months. She'd always wanted to take up self-defense and now she was training with a legitimate ninja.

She couldn't ignore all the bad things, but she could dull the pain of them with all the new experiences and friends she'd made. Cheesy as that sounded.

"So…please don't make me stay, and please stop looking at me like that." The latter was directed at Snake Eyes who hurriedly looked away.

Erebus leaned over and patted her shoulder encouragingly. "I think you got him, he can't deny a pretty face."

Snake Eyes sent him a scathing look, and Thalia reached out and turned his face towards her.

"We good, Hayabusa?"

" _I can't say no to you, I know that now."_

"Now all you need to do is kiss, seeing as you made up –"

" _Don't push it."_

* * *

Thalia and Snake Eyes walked to Nightshade and Storm Shadow's room after they finished eating. The door was open so when the two of them peered inside, they were surprised at the scene that unfolded before their eyes.

Storm Shadow was on his back reading a book, Nightshade was lying on top of him reading a book she'd placed on his chest; he rested his own book atop her head and neither noticed the pair of eyes watching them for a while.

Thalia gave Snake Eyes an unsure look so the ninja let out a whistle that got Storm Shadow's attention. While he didn't blush, he abruptly shoved Nightshade off him and bolted upwards into a sitting position quicker than a bullet. Nightshade grumbled incoherently and rolled away with a frown, sending Snake Eyes an accusatory glare before she noticed Thalia.

"There are a few things I need to take of, I'll be back in a little while," she said, excusing herself. Storm Shadow sighed at her departure before turning his full attention on Thalia.

Thalia exhaled slowly and sat down in front of him, her eyes nervously scanning the room as Snake Eyes sat behind her. After a few moments of not looking at the white-clad ninja, she reached behind her for Snake's head. He took it gently and nodded.

"I didn't come for an apology." She started. Storm Shadow's eyes widened. "I just…I need to understand why."

She bit her lip, her voice shaking. She blinked her eyes and looked away for a second.

Storm Shadow took a moment to examine what bits of skin he could see, reflecting on the black burn marks he'd inflicted on her with a pitying expression.

"Because had I not, my partner might've assumed I was not dedicated to Cobra's cause."

"Was he stronger than you?" Thalia asked. Storm Shadow looked to Snake Eyes.

"I do not know, he was an early defector from the Joe program. I had not encountered him before."

"Snake Eyes and Jinx weren't nearly so bloodied up." She said, deliberately picking at the black burn dragged along her collar bone.

"I was among my own men, I could get away with more."

"Did you enjoy it?" she blurted and put a hand over her mouth. Storm Shadow almost felt sick. He could guess what she was imagining.

"Never."

"Did you intend to kill me?"

"Never. I knew Snake Eyes would find you." he said, earning a mostly pleased look from his friend.

"What about the mind games?"

"I was testing your mental strength." He offered shortly. "I never intended to hurt you then but it was my partner who insisted I bring you in. I would've preferred to avoid everything that came after that."

Thalia nodded. She wasn't happy with the answer but she could at least appreciate his honesty. She slowly let go of Snake Eyes's hand and clenched her fists. Thalia could not guarantee she'd ever forgive him for what he did to her and no one expected her to either – it seemed self-loathing was a theme for any ninja or fighter anyway. But there was still something she needed to know before the night was through.

"Did you kill them?"

Thalia searched his face fiercely as he realized whom she was referring to, and saw something change. It wasn't a large change and she couldn't even decipher what she had seen but he expressed something. When he didn't say anything, Snake Eyes signed the question again, moving his hands over Thalia's shoulder and silently coaxing her to breathe out.

"I did not." He seemed…unsure. "I found their plane shortly before you did. I could see the resemblance and I…I was wrong to use it against you. I'm –"

He narrowed his eyes, the word foreign on his tongue. He hadn't even apologized for his acts with Cobra during the meeting a day ago.

"I am sorry. I know you don't want apologies but I have lost people as well and I would not have them used against me or my family. For everything else, I cannot say I am sorry because I was still performing a duty to someone I viewed as my superior and I will stand by my actions, guiltless."

Thalia felt her body move before her brain registered it – her fist smashed into Storm Shadow's face and he tipped backwards. She sat on top of him, breathing heavily as his nose bled onto his face and slipped onto the floor. Her fist was raised for another attack but she couldn't force herself to move, he looked…he looked.

Defeated.

"Fuck you." she spat, stepping off his body and shaking. "Fuck you and your fucking pride. Fucking…I accept your apology but I do _not_ forgive you. Snake Eyes," she leaned into him. "Get me out of here before I do something really stupid."

* * *

Thalia and Snake Eyes passed Nightshade on their way back to their room, Nightshade saw Thalia's bloodied fist before rushing back into her room. Thalia snorted, examining her knuckles and glad they didn't break. She hoped she had broken his nose, regardless of Snake Eyes's approval. She let both of them know her feelings and with that out of the way, she could move on a little more. Erebus was mighty pleased with the development, saying if she hadn't hit the bastard when she did it would only happen at a later date. Better to get it out of the way.

But when they all settled in for the night, she inched her finger towards Snake Eyes's open palm – _You mad at me?_

Snake Eyes sighed and flipped her hand over – _No. A little disappointed._

Thalia hummed – _The whole "don't fight in anger" thing?_

Snake Eyes chuckled silently – _Exactly but Erebus is right, you were going to hit him sooner or later._

She giggled – _You almost sound proud._

Snake Eyes flicked her forehead – _He should've seen it coming._

Thalia froze up for a second – _Was I telegraphing again?_

He shook his head – _No. But really, you were going to hit him one day. He should've preparing himself. Now go to sleep, we'll be up early again tomorrow._

Thalia groaned.

* * *

 **Uploading another chapter given how close I am to completing this story. Likely two more chapters after this, and then a sneak peek at the sequel.**

 **Just bear with me for a little longer.**


	26. Chapter 24

**CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR: Ragnarok**

Cobra Commander arrived on the shores of Fort Sumter in the clear midday sun accompanied by Storm Shadow and a squad of three Red Ninja. A thin mist crawled up the pale shores, a brisk breeze blew through the flags soon to be dismantled and replaced. It felt like a very dramatic play, most of his underlings already secured the island and as each door opened before him, each man saluted as he descended deeper into the fort. This year had progressed rather well, he'd been freed from prison by some of his most loyal supporters and the remnants of his organization had banded together to accomplish Cobra's goal of world domination.

This was the climax; everything he had striven for was practically his – the presidency of the United States, the utter obliteration of the G. I. Joes, and with Storm Shadow's confirmation that both Snake Eyes and Jinx were dead – nothing could stop him. Of course, he would've wanted to witness the deaths himself but Storm Shadow had dealt with that himself in a video and some articles of bloodied clothing. A sealed deal. The end game. _Winning_.

Cobra grinned. The farther down they walked, the darker the halls became until they fell in with a sizeable force of Cobra soldiers, the ninja taking point as the last door loomed before them. Storm Shadow pulled up his mask in anticipation and eyed his companions warily, Cobra paused. Of the three ninja, the shortest (and apparently the youngest) was fidgeting ever so slightly, hands twitching for the naginata on their back.

"First time?" he rasped.

"Yes," she answered shortly, bowing her head slightly.

"Calm yourself, what we do here today will secure the future from further harm."

"I understand, sir," the ninja murmured.

She lifted her gaze, met his briefly, and then returned to her former position as the doors in front of them began to open. Of course, the only thing missing from this grand finale was the absence of his daughter, but that would change, soon.

Cobra marched boldly into the room of assembled dignitaries, gazing up at the display of computer screens blanketing the walls. Storm Shadow hopped into the centre of the table, drawing his sword and levelling a stern stare at all those present. The ninja flanked the Commander, but waited to draw their weapons, instead analysing their surroundings. More of Cobra's troops filed into the room, blocking off the exits and disarmed the world leaders' entourage.

Zartan spun around on his heels and welcomed the Commander by throwing an arm around his shoulders, smiling cheekily.

"Finally, the man of the century."

"You're too kind, Zartan." Cobra hissed, revelling in the stunned reactions around the table. "Where were we?"

"The Zeus satellites, what happens when I press this Big. Red. Button?"

…perhaps Zartan had a little too much fun playing dress-up…

Cobra shrugged and glided over, pressing said button.

"Observe."

One of the Zeus satellites released a rod from space, and it fell into London with more destructive force than any nuclear weapon imaginable. The earth lurched and cracked like a thunderclap, buildings broke into splinters, metal screeched and stretched into wiry skeletons. In a few seconds, thousands of people were dead and even more would die in the span of five minutes.

A few people in the back fainted, others gagged, but most stood in petrified terror.

" _This_ is the beginning of the Cobra revolution. By pressing that button, I have activated an auto drop sequence, the remaining six satellites have already moved into position over your remaining _intact_ capital cities. And the same button that initiated this, can end it. For a price."

"Which would be?"

"Total allegiance, of course."

What happened next was…surprising. Cobra watched as Storm Shadow leapt back over the table and impale a soldier. Next, the Red Ninja started pulling the dignitaries away from the table, ushering them to safety. Power cut off overhead, and room erupted into panicked yells as a gun fired, a bright orange spark clipping a wall. The few backup lights showed one of the Red Ninja breaking away from the scrambling crowd, pulling his mask off and shouting -

"Roadblock, secure the perimeter."

…what?

Cobra dropped backwards, feeling his army surge around him and protect him. He saw Zartan grit his teeth, recognizing the speaker with the two katana blades.

"Long time no see, Z."

"Oh lovely, you."

A spray of bullets killed the remaining lights.

Zartan swore and spun around, running around the edge of the room and wheedling through the frightened political staff. He knew Storm Shadow was still playing Twister on the table – right hand stab, left hand impale – and he was soon joined by another of the false Red Ninja…He supposed that was Snake Eyes, judging from their synchronicity and the other's black attire.

He slid along the floor like a snake, crawling towards an exit as the Commander ran back the way he came. Firefly (almost going unnoticed) slithered under the table, grabbed the briefcase, and then booked it out of the room. The last Red Ninja vaulted after him, but Zartan was far more concerned with the figures of Erebus and Storm Shadow coming towards him. Snake Eyes was playing babysitter with the figureheads.

Zartan barrelled down a hallway, flying against the wall as a blast rocked the building, the floor beneath him pooled rapidly with water and he sloshed down the corridor, stooping under shuriken. Coming to a corner, he turned and pulled down a stack of crates, forcing sentries behind him.

"Take care of them!" he yelled, disappearing down the darkened passageway.

Erebus and Storm Shadow rushed into the corridor after Zartan, stumbling as the fort rocked and rolled from the battle above ground. Clearly Roadblock was having a little more fun than usual. They found more Cobra soldiers waiting for them, and then fell into a river of floating boxes. Storm Shadow glared at the water, watching for ripples as Erebus turned around and cursed.

"Can you take him?" Erebus growled, shoving a soldier backwards into the water and pushing his foot down on the man's chest.

"What happened?"

"No eyes on the Commander, can I trust you not to disappear?"

"Yes, now go."

* * *

Thalia's lungs were burning as she raced after Firefly, her ears ringing with the sound of explosions. Though dust and smoke clouded her vision, it was Firefly's insufferable laughter that guided her down one pathway and into another. Firefly, as told to her by Snake Eyes, was once a G. I. Joe himself before defecting for unknown reasons. A saboteur and skilled marksman, he also very much enjoyed blowing things up.

As they ran towards a wall, she saw him dip a hand into his pocket and fling out a cluster of fireflies that latched onto the wall and detonated it. A forceful hand yanked her backwards and shielded her from the spray of heavy debris, she winced at the sound of rock colliding with her shield. A heavy whoosh of air blew into the fort, cool sunlight lit the tunnel and Thalia stumbled out of Snake Eyes embrace, coughing at the dust and choking. She batted his hands away and gave him the thumbs up.

"M'fine, let's keep going." She started forward and her vision swam, the broken bits of the fireflies lay in tiny heaps on the ground.

Snake Eyes caught her shoulders again, raising one hand to sign but he paused – Thalia could hear the slightest bit of chatter coming from his earpiece. She raised an eyebrow and he relaxed his grip on her, turning backwards.

" _Erebus is going after Cobra, he needs backup."_

"What about Firefly?"

" _Roadblock is apparently meeting him head on."_

There was a loud boom and the ceiling rained down dust, the explosion shook the earth and Thalia tumbled forwards, a heavy stream of rocks cascaded down from the ceiling. It was just so _loud_ , so ungodly loud; she crawled backwards blindly, keeping her mouth shut as dust trailed down the side of her nose. Thalia crept out of the fort, and waited until the rumbling stopped before charging back in. The tunnel was completely blocked off and while she could move a few of the rocks, there was no one she could get back to Snake Eyes. Hopefully he'd moved out of the way…

Thalia opened her mouth to call for him but it wasn't as if Snake Eyes could answer. She looked behind her at the hole in the wall, the sea breeze tickling her neck.

"I'm sorry, Snake."

Thalia raced out the opening, glancing around her surroundings before spotting tracks in the gravel path. Some hundred feet away, she could see a motorcycle weaving of the road towards the docks. Growling, Thalia pulled the naginata off her back, she ran straight for the docks. She kept looking back at Firefly, he hadn't noticed her following yet, and she grinned at the figure of Roadblock walking up the hill. He aimed a very large gun at Firefly and let three massive shots fly, the motorcycle careened down the hill and jumped once, twice, before Firefly was bucked off.

Thalia slid down the hill after him, pulling the Red Ninja uniform off her body, before dashing after Firefly on his way to a parked motorboat. A few Cobra soldiers got off the motorboat, and marched towards them, Thalia grimaced and turned slightly as Roadblock shot the closest one. Steeling herself, Thalia dug her naginata's point into the gut of one of the soldiers, hefting him up and throwing him into the water with a scream. Roadblock knocked another man into the water as well, and Firefly roared away from them.

"Are you kidding me?"

"Here!" Roadblock called.

There was a hovercraft nearby and when she got close enough, Roadblock pulled in and started the engine. They bounded across the water, Thalia holding onto Roadblock's shoulders for dear life as they peeled after him. They bounced off the waves, Thalia jammed her naginata against the inner wall and one of her feet, her stomach clenching.

"I suppose we can't just shoot him and have done with it?" She yelled over the engine, eyeing the gun turret.

"No, we need a manual shutdown with that briefcase intact." He followed her gaze. "Here, take the wheel!"

Thalia squeaked as Roadblock pulled her onto his lap, thrusting his arm out and firing at the zigzagging Firefly with a small calibre pistol. Thalia gripped the wheel, _it's just like driving a car, right?_ Thalia bit her lip, trying to remember how Roadblock had done it, and focused on keeping the wheel steady. Roadblock kept firing, Thalia turned just a tad too far and cursed.

"Keep it straight, I almost got him!"

"Then hurry up, Hotshot!"

Thalia turned the craft around, following Firefly's path towards the shore. She kept it straight as best she could, weaving a little, until a bullet must've pierced the fuel tank. Firefly's boat flung itself onto dry land but that meant their boat had to stop as well. Thalia stared down at her feet and glanced at the nonexistent breaks, growling turning the wheel rapidly to one side as they collided with land. Roadblock cut off the power to the engine and held the two of them in place as the boat came to an abrupt stop. Thalia peeled her fingers off the wheel and manoeuvred to one side of the boat, retching over the side as Roadblock passed her.

"Not bad, rookie, but don't expect me to drive with you ever again."

Thalia was tempted to flip him the bird but as she raised her head, she saw the briefcase lying on the sand. Ignoring Roadblock's yell, she leapt out of the craft and skidded along the beach, wrapping her arms around the case and whipping around just in time for a fist to fly into her face. Her body dropped into the sand but her arms kept hold around the case, she glanced blearily at the man towering above her.

"Hello, love."

He grabbed her arms and shook her around before Thalia screamed, pulling her legs up and kicking his knees. He dropped both her and the case, the latter falling onto her chest hard enough to knock the wind out of her.

"I have no time to play, so I'll be taking that from you." He pulled a gun out from his hip and pointed it at her face. "So sorry."

"Hey!"

Firefly turned as Roadblock tackled him down, Thalia dragged the briefcase away, opening it up and glaring at the keyboard.

"How do I disable it?" she called, wincing as Firefly kicked Roadblock off.

The bigger man growled and landed a fist to Firefly's face, jumping off him and running towards the case.

"Keep him busy." Roadblock called, radioing in to Breaker.

Thalia gaped at him, cursing as her naginata was still on the boat. "I just need a minute." He said.

Going back for her weapon would take too much time, a minute wasn't that long anyway…right? She started walking towards him, searching the ground for stick or a metal bar, something. Firefly started laughing at her, digging into his pocket and releasing a swarm of fireflies. A few clung to her face and neck, burning indiscriminately as she jumped Firefly and wrapped her legs around his waist. With both hands she grabbed the gun he still held, sinking her teeth into his gun arm and grunting as his other hand wrapped around her neck.

She dug her heels into his waist, bit down harder as the blood dripped into her mouth and stopped short of going down her throat. She blew raspberries of blood from the corners of her mouth, her teeth cutting deeper until she felt his radius bone. Could she actually bite through his bone? Probably not.

"Let go, you dumb bitch!"

Firefly finally let go of her neck in order to punch her in the face, Thalia bit down harder and dug her heels into his back with more vigor, pushing his gun arm closer to his chest. She pushed against him until balance was broken, his grip around the gun loosened enough so she could fire a few shots. Firefly swore again, his arm came around her neck and Thalia squeezed her eyes shut, the fireflies on her face converging around her mouth.

"They'll go in there, love, not sure you want that." He wheezed.

She bit down _harder_ , her teeth aching terribly as her vision cut in and out. She tried focusing on closing her mouth, sealing it against Firefly's skin.

And then they heard the countdown.

Thalia used one of her hands to dig into his pocket, passed the squirming fireflies, a few burned the skin on her face. Groaning, she gave a final forceful bite until her teeth were wrapped around his bone, she ripped her arm back out of his jacket and slammed the fireflies into his face. They sparked and crackled against his skin, his let go of the gun completely and she tossed the gun away, pocketing the trigger as the countdown stopped. Thalia finally let go, coughing and coughing out mouthfuls of blood as Roadblock pulled her off Firefly. She passed him the trigger, but he ignored it for beating him senseless. Thalia picked off the fireflies, crushing them in her hands without a second thought. Her mouth ached, her jaw probably wouldn't appreciate this action for years to come. But, she still felt kinda good about it.

Roadblock, after Firefly was decently unconscious, walked over and kneeled in front of her. Thalia grinned, wincing at the peculiar tingling in her mouth, as he cupped her bruised face with a sour look.

"Were you trying to bite off his arm?" he grumbled, helping her stand up.

"Distinct possibility, made it to bone." She rubbed her jaw. "Took you long enough."

"You had it under control, we'll be calling you Fenris now, won't we?"

"Haha."

* * *

Snake Eyes stared at the rocks blocking the tunnel with a frown, placing one hand on a relatively smooth stone and pulling. Once it came out, more rocks tumbled downwards and the ninja clenched his fists in aggravation. Removing the stones would only take up more time, time they didn't exactly have; Thalia would run into Roadblock, so she was fine. She had to be.

Snake Eyes turned back down the tunnel and caught the flashing of swords whipping up the stairs, immediately dashing up after it and colliding with a pair of soldiers. They grabbed each of his arms and shoved Snake Eyes into the wall, each pulling out a knife and slicing into his sides. Snake Eyes growled, lifting his legs off the ground and sticking each of his feet into their chest, kicking them off. With blind precision, he lodged one man's head in the wall, blocking a knife jab and breaking the other's wrist. The soldier crumpled to the floor and Snake Eyes ducked down, retrieved his swords and beheaded him.

His footfalls sounded too loud as he rounded the corner like a vengeful wind, hacking at anything that dared cross in front of him. It was still dark within the halls and Cobra's troops were equipped with night vision, not that it helped much. Snake Eyes leant up against a wall and breathed out slowly, tapping his fingers against his thigh as the suit blended in with the wall. Sure, the troops could see in the dark, didn't help if Snake Eyes was the _wall_.

After evading several more search parties, Snake Eyes finally found himself in one of the inner most chambers, in complete silence -

" _Storm Shadow, are you there?"_

It was Erebus, he sounded…off. Snake Eyes eased himself further into the room, the ceiling above him rumbling ominously.

" _Yes. Zartan is dead."_ Storm Shadow replied stonily.

Inhale.

"… _Bring up the body, Ripcord's waiting on the beach, don't be late."_

Exhale _._

" _Snake Eyes?"_

Snake Eyes paused and brought his left arm up, flipping open a small console and tapping out a reply in Morse.

 _*I'm here*_

" _Are you alright?"_ Storm Shadow pressed, concern coloured his tone.

 _*Was separated*_

Erebus cursed. _"Whereabouts?"_

 _*Roadblock should be with her*_ Snake Eyes tapped, slipping off the wall he hadn't realized he'd leaned into.

Snake Eyes drowned out the rest of the conversation as something padded up behind him, almost inaudible, if it wasn't for the other person. The ninja looked over his shoulder, and sheathed one of his blades as Whisper glided up beside him.

"I'm with Snake Eyes, we're coming after you, Erebus." Whisper smirked, eyeing the sleek brown timber wolf that nudged Snake Eyes's leg affectionately. A rifle was slung over her shoulder but she had a few extra knives tucked into her belt, Snake Eyes shrugged and gestured for her to lead.

"So…that was a bit of lie." She began. "Erebus is outside –"

" _The Commander's still inside."_

Whisper raised an eyebrow. "Yes, how do you figure though?"

 _S_ nake Eyes walked ahead of her towards the wolf who disappeared around the corner, it obediently sat down in front of a few small blood droplets.

"Looks like he was running, judging by the patterns," Whisper noted. "I'd hate to think Erebus missed him."

" _He sounded strange just now."_

Whisper groaned.

"Always getting in trouble, isn't he?"

* * *

The wolf led the pair back outside, the trail of blood got lost in the sands and the sun was blotted out by thick gray clouds. Tall towers of black smoke punctured the sky, there were a few scattered fires and most everyone had moved to the other side of the island. Snake Eyes and Whisper faced the near open sea and saw two flecks of black brawling in the water. Whisper lifted the rifle's scope to her good eye and frowned.

"That's them alright, I'll cover you guys. Tundra, go with Snake Eyes."

The ninja nodded and sprinted forward, the wolf overtaking him and speeding for the Commander's unguarded legs. Once he got closer, Snake Eyes understood the strange tone in Erebus's voice.

Erebus was propped up against one wall, sword stuck in the sand, and missing his right arm. Whisper fired a shot into Cobra's leg, and Tundra clamped her powerful jaws around Cobra's arm. Erebus groaned and finally slid down the wall, forgoing his sword to clasp his shoulder, Snake Eyes dove under him and held him up.

Another shot went off and Tundra whined, the bullet ripped through the metallic mask Cobra wore, two piercing green eyes glared out at the ninja as he swatted the wolf aside. He started towards them, raising an arm to shoot when Whisper fired again – right through the Commander's wrist. A strangled cry issued from his mouth, garbled with static as he whipped around in search of his shooter.

"Taking the high ground, Viper? So unlike you – " that earned a bullet through his other leg. "And you keep missing your target," he sneered, baiting her.

Snake Eyes traded a look with Erebus who was so pale and practically falling asleep on his shoulder. Snake Eyes whistled for Tundra, the wolf nuzzled in between Erebus and the wall, licking his face to keep him awake. The chatter in his earpiece started again, reinforcements were coming and Whisper was stalking down the beach with a shining dagger in each of her hands.

Cobra tore his gaze away from his daughter, a haughty look in his eyes as he raised his arm, shifting his gun underneath his chin. Snake Eyes moved and grabbed Whisper, pulling her away as Cobra fired the shot.

Both jolted at the sight of blackish liquid exploding from the top of the Commander's head, Whisper ripped away from the ninja and yanked the helmet of Cobra's head as his corpse fell backwards. Cobra's bare face sparked into flames in the open air, Whisper used one of her daggers to poke at the skin, peeling it away.

Within was a metal endoskeleton with glass green eyes endlessly rolling around as garbled laughter played out of the crooked jaw. Whisper jerked away and stared at the fort.

"But the blood trail led outside…" She pivoted and stared at Erebus, rushing over and slapping his face. "Where did he go? Erebus!"

"We need medical assistance now!"


	27. Chapter 25

**Finally, we reach the end. Before we get into things, I'd like to thank the following peeps: Slytherin Studios, blackrosewitch1996, Ebbi538, MarvelObsessed, Gotta Dance 88, jewels369, antonie,triskova, Abandon All Sanity, roserain1998, Silver as the Rain, Guest(s), and of course MustangLover97 for all your lovely reviews...without them, completion of this story would've been difficult.**

 **Thanks for all the favourites and alerts as well.**

 **And as of today (February 20, 2016) I have four chapters written for the upcoming sequel: CASUALITES 2: Of Wolves and Chameleons.**

 **Maybe I'll see you there?**

* * *

 **TWENTY-FIVE: Casualties**

Taiga padded alongside Camilla Amhel on their way to Harold Amhel's grave, on the day of what would've been their daughter's twenty-third birthday. Harold's grave was not set in some idyllic spot, it was tucked between two ornate tombstones decorated with daises and red spider lilies, the brightness of the flowers helped take away from the bleak whiteness of the snow blanketed the cemetery. Camilla didn't bring flowers anymore, not when they wilted so easily in the cold; she once toyed with the idea of bringing fake flowers that wouldn't lose their colour but Logan had disagreed. It seemed strange coming from the boy who'd paint pictures of inanimate objects – fruits, flowers, people, animals – hoping they last longer in his memories. A lot of his paintings had been flown down from his cabin, but a great deal more had been destroyed in "a robbery gone wrong".

 _Bullshit_ , Camilla thought bitterly. No one lived that far north, Logan had told her so. He wanted the solitude, fulfilling a somewhat cliché motif about artists, but that wasn't the only reason.

While Harold's grave was started to show its age in small cracks and invasive weeds, Logan and his husband Hideki got a decent sized crypt further on the hilltop. Hideki's family was wealthy and Logan made it clear that when he died, he'd be eternally to rest with his one true love. Camilla hadn't expected that to be so soon. They two of them had died in a tragic plane accident, the Mounties found their bodies trapped in the rubble in a forest and oddly enough, the search hadn't taken long.

Camilla wasn't stupid; she knew something else had been going on which explained why there was no grave for her daughter. Theresa was alive, she knew it. The Mounties claimed that a robbery had taken place shortly after the boys' plane went down, Theresa appeared to have fought off her attacker but was ultimately overpowered. They couldn't offer any clues on suspects or motive, there appeared to be no other signs of Theresa aside from Taiga and Camilla couldn't exactly ask the husky.

No.

As she stood in front of the crypt, she knew that one of Hideki's siblings had come by earlier in the day with red roses. But stranger still were the two twigs of cherry blossoms braided together. Camilla shivered. No one in Calgary grew cherry blossoms, the climate couldn't really support them and who would've ordered these in…?

Taiga sniffed the air curiously, walking around in a circle and sitting down, looking down over the hill with renewed interest. Camilla turned as well, pushing her thick brown hair behind her ears.

A few people were moving in between graves near the gates, a couple was carefully descending the hill, meandering around the graves, lingering once or twice. Camilla couldn't place them; she grew to recognize people here given the frequency of her visits. The man was impossible to place with the amount of clothes covering him up, but he had blond hair. The woman had a head of striking blue hair cut close to her head, the same way Theresa would've liked.

Camilla felt her heart plummet into her stomach. Taiga was attentive on the couple, snapping her fingers for Taiga and dashing after the couple. They paused, deliberately, in front of Harold's grave. The woman dropped a white lily on the ground in front of it, trying to appear nonchalant. Camilla stopped herself from crying out as she grabbed the woman's wrist.

"Wait!"

Taiga investigated the man eagerly, his tail wagging wildly.

"Please, wait." Camilla breathed, staring into the woman's face.

She was around the same age as Theresa, her eyes were dark green, like Theresa's were. But her face…

Dark red burn marks crisscrossed her face in ugly lines, one darted down her right cheek, another cut over the left side of her lips. Smaller circular burn marks dotted her neck and chin, a jagged scar roamed across her face, over her nose, from ear to ear.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I thought you were…" Camilla murmured, slowly releasing her grip. "I thought you were my…"

"It's OK," the woman croaked. "You look like someone I used to know too."

Taiga started whimpering, trying to get the woman to notice him. She smiled, her eyes wet, and kneeled down to rub Taiga's cheeks.

"I like your dog," she said in a small voice, giggling as the husky licked her face. "He's very friendly." The woman mechanically reached for the dog tag on Taiga's collar, scraping her fingers along the name.

"Taiga, huh? That's cute, I met a dog called Tundra the other day." The way the woman said "dog" was not convincing.

She stood up and took the man's hand, squeezing it and he nodded, his eyes never leaving her.

"My name's Thalia James, this is…uh, Shizuka Hayabusa." Thalia held out her hand, Camilla saw it was shaking.

"Camilla Amhel, I'm sorry for your loss."

"Yours as well, C-Camilla." Thalia bit her lip, pulling her hand back and covering her mouth. "We should get going, it was…nice seeing you again."

Thalia blinked rapidly and walked towards a black vehicle, Shizuka patted Taiga's head and jogged after her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders as they climbed inside the van and drove off. Camilla fell onto her knees, reaching for Taiga and openly sobbing, a few onlookers came to her side in comfort her but she had it. She knew it.

But did Thalia catch the slip up too?

* * *

"Talk about being _dis_ armed."

"Keep it up, Whisper, we'll see if you still have both eyes in the morning."

Thalia sighed as she walked into the infirmary, smirking at Erebus as he sat in one of the beds, trying to find a comfortable position. He couldn't exactly cross his arms anymore, Cobra had thrown his arm into the ocean and no one could find it. There was still the prospect of giving him a prosthetic or trying out a new bionics project, but he was oddly content with the one arm. For now, at least.

Whisper was keeping him company before she returned to her ranch, the two of them were aggressively arm-wrestling, much to the doctor's chagrin.

Whisper grinned as she pinned Erebus's arm to the small table, containing her victory shout as Thalia sat down on the bed, pulling her legs under her. Erebus grimaced, flexing his hand and growling something under his breath.

"Looks like you need some major physiotherapy, given you're not so –"

"Please don't."

"…Handy." Whisper blurted, giggling and clutching her sides.

Erebus groaned and shut his eyes, reaching for Thalia and pulling her further up the bed.

"Save me from her puns, please, I can't take it."

"I don't know, bro, I found it pretty… _humerus_." Thalia snorted, squeaking as Erebus shoved her away with a scowl. "Oh come on, throw me a _bone_ here."

"No, no more. Out with both of you before my blood pressure rises." Erebus groaned, looking towards the door as Snake Eyes entered. "Dude, your girlfriend keeps punning, stop her before I do."

Snake Eyes froze and Thalia felt her cheeks flush, but the ninja recovered quickly.

" _Tibia honest, we aren't actually dating."_

"Oh for fuck's sake, go." Erebus kicked Thalia off the bed, grabbing a pillow and whacking Whisper in the face until she finally left the room, chasing by flying pillow.

Thalia and Snake Eyes walked out, walking into the cafeteria and meeting up with the fully assembled Alpha Team and Roadblock's team, Beta. All were dressed in standard military garb and though Duke's face in particular was a little more somber than the others, they all looked rather proud of themselves. Roadblock in particular pulled Thalia under his arm and declared in a loud voice –

"Everyone, meet Fenris."

Snake Eyes raised an eyebrow. Thalia shrugged.

"I think it fits."

"She did gnaw his bone off," Ripcord said in a conspiring tone.

"I did not, I just…grazed it really."

"You had your teeth around his radius bone, I saw the reports." Scarlet pointed out. "Not what I would've done but hey, points for creativity."

"No one's going to give you any trouble here, Fenris, those scars probably help." Flint said mildly nervous tone, stepping away to prove his point.

"Guys, come on." Thalia whined, shuffling away from Roadblock and positioning herself a little behind Snake Eyes.

Lady Jaye smirked. "Of course, being Snake's newest apprentice has its perks too. You aren't coming to the ceremony?"

" _No. I'd rather avoid having my face broadcasted again. We'll be leaving for Japan once Erebus is fit for transport."_

Breaker, mostly just observing the conversation, suddenly got a bright look in his eye as he nudged Heavy Duty.

"We sure that's a good idea?" he started. "I mean, putting Fenris with Erebus seeing as he's already sans one arm? We might as well name him Tyr."

"You guys are terrible."

* * *

Thalia woke up in her room, somewhere in Hokkaido, in one of Snake Eyes's hidden dojos scattered throughout the world. Winter was great here, almost as great as the winters she'd spent as a child. The window revealed heavy wet snow wrapped around the roots of huge trees, more snow got cut in the branches, falling haphazardly in the wind or because of the sheer force of Erebus's fists. She could see him outside in a thin robe, pounding his palm against the tree trunk, leaving a sizable dent. He wouldn't stay here forever, he still had things to do but thank goodness Snake Eyes held enough influence over him.

Thalia rubbed the sand out of her eyes and popped the window open, throwing her head out and breathing in the fresh air. A snowball hit her squarely in the face and she didn't have enough time to recover because Erebus was already gone. Frowning and shivering, she dropped back inside and shut the window, grabbing a black _haori_ and slipped her arm into the sleeves.

Snake Eyes had let her sleep in this morning to get rid of the jet lag from so much travelling, and judging from the aroma in the air, it was close to dinnertime. She yawned and ducked as Erebus tossed a pillow at her, dropping down to pick it back up and returning it to its place in front of the small table. Snake Eyes was in the small kitchen cooking, free of his standard uniform and wearing navy blue pants and a sleeveless, high necked shirt. His bare arms were just as scarred as Thalia remembered and now she knew where all the new scars came from. Her chest hurt at the thought of them, of who inflicted them, but she pushed that aside.

Storm Shadow was sitting in the corner sharpening his swords, he looked up when Thalia entered and nodded his head slowly. Thalia smiled thinly at him and took her seat.

Snake Eyes turned around whistling with his arms full of hot plates, Thalia jumped up and helped him carry everything to the table. Storm Shadow only joined them after everyone sat down, grabbing the teapot from the counter and sitting opposite Thalia. Erebus and Snake Eyes sat on either side of her, watching her face as Storm Shadow got comfortable.

"I didn't sense any killing intent," Erebus noted. "Lovely, _itadakimasu_."

" _You are getting better, Thalia, really."_

"Uh huh." She tore her eyes away from Storm Shadow to look at Snake Eyes, smiling a little and sighing deeply. "He brought tea, I'm…happy."

Erebus opened his mouth but Storm Shadow slapped his hand over it with a look, shaking his head as Snake Eyes laughed. Of course, they'd never hear him laugh again, and that made Storm Shadow's face twist uncomfortably – but Snake Eyes shook his head. He reached behind him and brought out a large package in bright wrapping paper. Thalia dropped her chopsticks and swung her head around to look at Erebus who reached under the table and pulled out two boxes.

"What…what is this?"

Storm Shadow reached into his shirt and pulled out a small gift box as well and set it on the table. Thalia shook her head again, and Snake Eyes patted her back.

" _One, it's Christmas and we do celebrate here. Second, your birthday was a few days ago; I gave you one of my presents that day."_

Thalia felt funny watching his mouth move in sync with his hands, instantly remembering their trip to her hometown….

" _And Erebus insisted on celebrating."_

"Meaning you open my presents first." Erebus snickered, pushing the boxes over and poking her forehead. "Happy birthday, pup."

"Please don't make that a thing…" She grumbled, her cheeks red.

The first package was actually from Hattori Hanzo, it was the blue kimono she'd worn after they'd rescued Jinx and Snake Eyes. She smiled, making a mental note to send a letter of thanks or something.

The second package was rather squishy and opening it, Thalia pulled out a giant wolf plushy aptly named Fenris as well. She didn't stay mad at him long, hugging the stuffed animal and placing it in her lap.

She glanced at Storm Shadow's gift warily and he put his hands in the air and shut his eyes. Thalia slipped her fingers between the paper and raised an eyebrow at the colourful barrettes, peering at them at length before Storm Shadow picked one up and snapped it open.

"They have tools, like a lock pick. Little daggers…yeah."

"Um…thanks." Thalia mumbled, gathering them up and putting them on the floor.

Snake Eyes's gift was last and she held it in her hands awkwardly, feeling it shift in her hands. Erebus looked like he was trying not to laugh and Storm Shadow was covering the lower half of his face. Snake Eyes's lips were twitching and his eyes sparkled with amusement.

Thalia ripped the paper and raised an eyebrow, pulled out a length of chain with two curved blades on either side.

"This looks like work." She frowned, lifting the blades up. Smaller inscriptions on the blades read _Gleipnir Skoll, Gleipnir Hati._

" _The naginata was a good basic weapon for you, this is just a step up. It will take time but you've shown excellent work ethic."_

"…Gleipnir is the name of the ribbon that held down the Fenris wolf…Skoll and Hati are apparently his children…You guys really like that codename, don't you?"

" _You don't like these then?"_ Snake Eyes wondered, reaching to grab Gleipnir.

Thalia pulled away. "No! It's just…a weird way to gain a codename."

"Storm Shadow is the literal translation of "Arashikage", you have little to worry. And besides, I think it suits you well." Storm Shadow said.

"Yeah! You're a part of a big wolf pack now and you did nearly bite a guy's hand off. Fenris stays." Erebus agreed heartily.

Thalia sighed deeply and looked up at Snake Eyes.

" _I like it. Very badass."_

"Oh, can it Hayabusa," Fenris snorted.

 _ **The End**_


	28. Preview

**Last update, I've starting posting the sequel to this fic here. Thought I'd pop in a preview here and then if anyone is interested, you can pop over and starting reading the new story. By the time I post this here, I will have probably posted the second chapter.**

 **Cheers!**

* * *

 **CASUALTIES 2: Of Wolves and Chameleons**

 **CHAPTER ONE: Viper**

Zanya sat on the marine's chest with a bored look on her face, shoving her gun down the man's throat. He gagged, bile rode over his lips as he stared wide-eyed up at her, frantically twitching the ropes binding his arms down to the wooden arms of the overturned chair he was trapped in. Her feet were on either side of his head, fixing his gaze on her cool green eyes, even her dreads were tinged with green. In any other situation, the marine would've found her gorgeous but he'd heard the other two mentioning the fact that she was seventeen, seventeen and hell bent on _something_.

He hadn't even seen her coming, he'd been surfing in the dark, cruising over the dark waves like a shark in the darkness. It was in stark contrast to that time in that tiny little sub, bumping shoulders with traitors and watching his superiors dump their bodies in the ocean. Hadn't they had families? They were misguided to follow Cobra, yes, but they were still people, still people _with_ people waiting for them.

He swallowed awkwardly around the barrel of the gun, thinking of his young family at home who were probably wondering what had happened to him. What _will_ happen to him; he knows how this ends. He's seen their faces, heard their voices, maybe even picked up on something he shouldn't have. They have to kill him, they will, it's only a matter of time.

"Listen, mate," she drawls thickly, lifting the gun up an inch. "I don't want trouble, not yet anyway. Was wondering if you could maybe get in touch with some of your friends for me."

"Didn't keep in contact, ma'am."

S _he laughs._ Oh God, and its music for all of five seconds until she shoves the gun as far down as she can, leaning over him with a sick look of fascination. Not smiling, but her eyes zero in on the sweat beading down his brow, how wide his eyes are, how small his pupils are. She slowly moves the gun up and down, rhythmically, sensually, and he groans despite himself.

Her lips twitch.

"You a father, _sir_?" she parrots back at him, mimicking the baritone tremor in his voice. "I had a father once," she continued normally, pulling the gun out and letting his gasp for breath.

She waits for him to catch his breath, repeats the question, and then he nods obediently. Zanya smiles this time, he doesn't know her name and he never will but for a little while, she pretends they've known each other for years. She dips the gun back into his mouth, surprised as he allows the action, almost welcomes it, and she gently flutters it up and down his throat.

She lets this go on for a while, tipping her head back and gazing through the space between the door and wall; white lights spills out from the TV, illuminating the shadows of her aunt and uncle lounging on the couch. They looked nothing like their older brother, and look too much like each other. She doesn't count them as especially smart, not by a longshot, but she needs them for this to work. Well, maybe not Aunt Zarana who flaunts her newly dyed pink hair as if she served Cobra the head of every G I Joe in hiding. Zanya does not like Zarana and Zarana does not like Zanya, but the girl does not care. As long as they all have the same enemy, they need each other. That and Zarana, for all her faults, is a master of disguise and small arms. Zanya does not like changing her appearance so much, constant dyeing ruins and thins hair, and Zanya is damn proud of her dreads – Father loved them so.

Speaking of which, from her seat on the marine's chest, she can feel his cock poke against her back, a wetness soaking through his pants. Zanya scowls immediately.

"I had a father once," she murmurs again, pulling the gun of his mouth. She grimaces at the stream of saliva dripping off the barrel, sliding the gun across the floor as the man gasps. His eyes are glazed, his hips thrust vainly behind her and Zanya steels herself against the urge to turn around and claw his gonads off.

"And if you were _my_ father," Zanya purrs, "I would be _so_ disappointed."

She plunges her fingers directly into his eye sockets, listening to him scream and feeling him thrash wildly beneath her. Her guardians are at the door in an instant and she looks coolly over her shoulder, warning them not to come inside. Zarana makes a face and turns around with a curse, but Zandar lingers for a while, curious.

Zanya prefers her uncle, he keeps his mouth shut and allow his actions to speak for themselves. His hair's still recovering from Zarana's horrid dye work, it's a pale red too close to pink for his taste. He uses holographics for his disguises, and prefers knives to guns. The face tattoos help make him look more intimidating because he's so damn lanky, unlike his older brother.

Once the marine quits squirming, Zanya stands up and washes her hands in the dirty sink, sighing heavily and pulling the chair back into a standing position.

"Nothing from him either," she laments and Zandar casts an arm around her shoulder.

"Someone has what you need, baby girl, I know it."

"I know, Uncle, but its so frustrating. _She_ isn't helping." Zanya growls, eyeing the silhouette of her aunt with distain.

"Oh, come off it, princess," Zarana sneers. "What were you expecting? Having everything handed to you off the bat? How pathetic."

Zandar grabs Zanya's upper arm before she can take a proper swipe at Zarana, giving his twin sister a stout glare as Zanya takes a moment to steady herself. She doesn't grace her aunt with a retort, moving instead to the pantry and thrusting it open. Inside is another man, similarly bound with a rag stuffed down his throat, he looks wildly from Zanya to the twins and finally at the dead marine. He wails from behind his gag as Zanya pulls him into the kitchen area, having him face the dead man whose eyes drip like mucus down his face. Zanya sighs deeply and puts a hand on the soldier's quaking shoulder.

"Now listen hear, sailor boy, because I have a few questions for you."

* * *

 **The new fic _is_ rated M as well for graphic torture and mildly sexual themes, as you can tell from this snippet.**

 **Hope to see you in the sequel!**


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